DEFENCE

Eurofighter

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Eurofighter.

Lewis Moonie: The Eurofighter is a highly capable, multi-role aircraft, that will replace our Tornado F3s and Jaguars. We expect the RAF to take delivery of its first Eurofighter later this year. This four nation collaborative project is an excellent example of what can be achieved by European nations working together with a common purpose.

Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration on the future of the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty.

Geoff Hoon: I regularly discuss missile defence and related issues with the United States Administration. The future of the Anti-Ballistic Missile treaty is essentially a bilateral issue for the United States and Russia. We welcome the fact that they are continuing to work together to establish a new strategic framework based on openness and mutual trust.

Army Personnel

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the shortfall of personnel in the Army.

Adam Ingram: As at 1 January 2002, there was a shortfall of 6,059 personnel against the currently assessed in-year requirement for whole Army strength.

Joint Command Bases

Lawrie Quinn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last discussed joint command bases with his United States counterpart.

Adam Ingram: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has regular discussions with his United States counterpart on a wide range of subjects of mutual interest. Recent discussions have not specifically addressed the joint command of military facilities.

Central Ordnance Depot (Bicester)

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the central ordnance depot, Bicester.

Lewis Moonie: At the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency Bicester there are three sites (A, B and G) which are surplus to the long-term requirements of the agency and will no longer be required by them after 2004 or earlier. Current plans foresee the continued requirement for the remaining DSDA sites at Bicester.

NATO

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met the Secretary-General of NATO to discuss European defence.

Geoff Hoon: I last met the Secretary-General of NATO during the NATO Defence Ministers' meetings on 18–19 December 2001 when we discussed a number of topics, including European defence.

Retention

Ann Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he is taking to improve morale and retention in the armed forces.

Adam Ingram: High morale, as well as being important in its own right, is a vital factor in retaining personnel, which in turn improves manning levels and helps to obtain the optimum return on investment in training. Our aim is to maintain excellent levels of retention and morale through policies that reflect the priorities of our people and their families. For example, we are implementing in full the outcome of the Armed Forces Pay Review, including the proposals for aircrew remuneration.
	A key outcome of the Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was the "Policy for People" which addresses terms and conditions; pay and allowances; quality of training; family life; equality of opportunity and provision of better accommodation. All of these are being taken forward as part of all overarching personnel strategy that was introduced in April 2000 to place personnel issues at the centre of our policy making.

Royal Navy Amphibious Operations

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the future needs of the Royal Navy in order to sustain amphibious operations.

Adam Ingram: The Strategic Defence Review concluded that we should maintain strong and well balanced maritime forces including a full Commando brigade and specialist shipping.
	The Royal Navy's new landing platform docks, Albion and Bulwark, are both due to enter service in 2003. We are also building four Bay Class Alternative Landing Ship Logistics (ALSLs), which will be operated by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary. The ALSLs are substantially larger and more capable than the vessels they replace and on current plans will all have entered service by the end of 2005. In conjunction with the new landing platform docks and the helicopter landing platform, HMS Ocean, the ALSLs will bring a substantial increase in the UK's overall capability to conduct amphibious operations and contribute to increased global reach and flexibility.

Bosnia and Kosovo

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of British forces in (a) Bosnia and (b) Kosovo.

Adam Ingram: UK forces continue to make a vital contribution to all of the tasks undertaken by SFOR and KFOR in building peace and stability in Bosnia and Kosovo. The UK currently contributes some 1,900 personnel to SFOR operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina as the co-ordinating nation in Multinational Division (South-West). As the framework nation of Multinational Brigade (Centre) in Kosovo, the UK currently contributes some 3,000 personnel to KFOR operations.

Veterans

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on veterans' affairs.

Lewis Moonie: Since the announcement of the veterans' initiative and my appointment as Veterans Minister in March of last year, we have been working closely with representatives of the veterans' community to improve the services we offer them. As an early step, we transferred the War Pensions Agency to the Ministry of Defence to deliver a more coherent service to war pensioners. We are committed to maintaining the agency's programme of continuous improvement to the services it provides to its customers, recognised recently in the award of the UNISYS Management Today Excellence Award. In particular, we are working closely with interested veterans' organisations to identify areas where we can bring further improvements in service through closer co-operation with their own activities in support of veterans.
	We have also recognised the concern of many veterans and of people more widely that the final resting places of our war dead should be properly respected. In particular, we have moved to address the desecration of maritime war graves by some divers. We have designated 16 wrecks in UK waters as controlled sites and five in international waters as protected places. All military vessels lost in the Falklands conflict will be designated. We have made clear that we will prosecute where we have jurisdiction and are pressing for greater international protection of such wrecks.
	The objective of seeking improvements in the support offered to those who have left the services, through closer partnership with the veterans' organisations, has been a key theme of the work of the ministerial task force and the forum of veterans' representatives. There have been two meetings of the Veterans Forum and, as a result, nine working groups have been formed to give practical expression to the initiative's core themes of partnership, identify recognition and care. These working groups are looking at improvements in areas such as resettlement of the most vulnerable service-leavers, communication with veterans, and the educational material available in schools with regard to the achievements of our veterans. The working groups include representatives from the veterans' organisations, as well as from other interested Government Departments and the devolved Administrations. Initial meetings have been held to agree the objectives for each working group and they will report back to me on their progress in time to give an up-date to representatives of the veterans' community at the second Plenary Forum on 17 April 2002.
	Subsequently, the Veterans Forum, which includes the executive of the Confederation of British Service and Ex-Service Organisations (COBSSEO) and senior officials from across government, is due to consider the progress of the working groups when it meets on 1 May 2002. The ministerial task force will then consider the way forward, taking account of the views expressed by the veterans community, at our meeting on 15 May and, in July, I will provide a progress report through the Defence Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Royal Navy Recruitment

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on recruitment to the Royal Navy.

Adam Ingram: Recruitment to the Naval Service is satisfactory. We aim to recruit about 5,000 officers, ratings and Royal Marines this year and, although we still face challenges in the recruitment of engineers, submarine operator mechanics, chefs and some medical specialisations, we are within 5 per cent. of our target in most areas.
	We continue to initiate spotlight campaigns in areas of high recruitment potential throughout the UK, with a particular interest in those districts where there is the potential to increase this representation of the ethnic minority population. Our initiatives include multi-media advertising campaigns such as the new cinema advert for the Royal Marines, and attendance at multi-cultural events and exhibitions, presentation and display teams. It is important that we attract the attention and interest of young people still in full-time education and our Royal Naval and Royal Marine display and presentation teams regularly tour the UK, visiting schools and colleges, attending careers fairs and conventions and promoting EU financial assistance schemes to sixth-formers and undergraduates.

Recruitment

Sydney Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited to the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force between 1 November 2001 and 31 January 2002.

Adam Ingram: Figures for recruitment are at present available only up until the end of November 2001.
	In the three months prior to that, 1,826 people were recruited to the Naval Service, 5,096 people were recruited to the Army and 1,037 people were recruited to the RAF. Figures are for intake to UK regular forces and therefore exclude Gurkhas, full time reserve service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists.

Recruitment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers were recruited in South Tyneside in each year since 1996.

Adam Ingram: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Financial years Regular soldiers 
		
		
			 1996–97 826 
			 1997–98 880 
			 1998–99 902 
			 1999–2000 690 
			 2000–01 519 
			 2001–02 (1)420 
		
	
	(1) To end January 2002

Gurkha Regiments

Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many new recruits will be introduced into the Gurkha regiments and what will be the strength of the Gurkha regiments in 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: There is a requirement to recruit 230 Gurkhas during 2002 in order to maintain the current force level of around 3,500 trained Gurkhas.

Procurement (Clyde)

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his procurement plans in connection with shipyards on the Clyde.

Lewis Moonie: This Government are undertaking the largest programme of new warship building in this country for decades. In the last 20 months the Ministry of Defence has placed orders or announced its intention to place orders for 15 new warships. The Clyde has already benefited from this programme. BAE Systems Marine recently signed a contract, with the MOD, for the build of two new Alternative Landing Ships Logistics at the Govan yard on the Clyde, the Clyde shipyards of BAE Systems Marine will also benefit from the Ministry of Defence's planned extension of its commitment from three to six Type 45 Destroyers, the Build of which will be shared between BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thornycroft with the first of class assembled and launched from the Scotstoun yard.
	Our future plans include two new aircraft carriers; further Astute Class submarines and Type 45 Destroyers; the new surface combatant and a number of support vessels. It is expected that this programme of warship building will create or secure several thousand jobs in UK shipyards and their ancillary industries throughout this country. We fully expect shipyards on the Clyde to have opportunities to participate in future orders.

Female Army Recruits

Dai Havard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action is planned with regard to the application of physical fitness tests for Army recruits; and if he will make a statement on the study into injuries among female army recruits, in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, volume 95.

Adam Ingram: The Physical Selection Standards (Recruits) (PSS(R)) system of testing potential recruits to the Army has been in place since 1998. It consists of a series of tests designed to assess the level of fitness of an individual related to the specific demands of a particular trade, irrespective of gender, and aims to predict the likely chance of an individual successfully completing initial military training. The system is currently undergoing re-validation. The study reported in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine compared data associated with medical discharges among recruits trained under the policy in existence in 1997–98 with data for those trained under the PSS(R) regime in 1998–99. The results showed an increase in medical discharges of female recruits due to certain types of injury, such as stress fractures and back pain. Modifications have since been made to the selection and training process for new recruits and the position is being kept under constant review.

Kabul

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the cohesion of the stability force in Kabul.

Geoff Hoon: The command and control of a large multinational force like the International Security Assistance Force in a challenging environment like Kabul is a major undertaking. So far, this has gone extremely well, which is a tribute to the close co-operation that we have received from the 17 other troop contributing nations.

Pakistan

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he last met his counterpart in Pakistan to discuss military developments in the region.

Geoff Hoon: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave earlier today to my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas).

Missile Defence

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that there is parliamentary approval prior to a deployment by the US of national missile defence facilities in the UK.

Geoff Hoon: President Bush has made clear that he has not yet decided what sort of missile defence system he will ultimately seek to deploy. We have received no request from the US for the use of sites in the UK for missile defence purposes, and it remains premature to indicate how we would respond to any specific request.

Missile Defence

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Russia about missile defence.

Geoff Hoon: I discussed a range of issues, including missile defence, with the Russian Defence Minister, Sergei Ivanov, during his visit to London on 20 December.

Strategic Defence Review

David Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on the new chapter of the strategic defence review.

Geoff Hoon: We have made good progress on the new chapter to the Strategic Defence Review: this work is designed to ensure that we have the right concepts, forces and capabilities in place to deal with the kind of threats that we saw on 11 September.
	We intend to publish public discussion material very shortly, outlining the areas we are examining, reflecting emerging thinking and seeking views. This will provide an important opportunity for members of the public, Parliament and other interested parties to contribute to this important work. We intend to publish some conclusions in the spring or early summer.

Procurement (Naval Ships)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his procurement plans for naval ships.

Lewis Moonie: The Government are undertaking the largest programme of new warship building for many years. In the last 20 months the Ministry of Defence has placed orders or announced its intention to place orders for 15 new warships.
	As to our future plans, we expect to purchase two new aircraft carriers and further Astute class submarines and type 45 destroyers. Our longer-term plans include the future surface combatant as well as a number of support vessels.
	It remains our policy that all warships for the Royal Navy will be built in the United Kingdom, providing the UK shipbuilding industry with a solid platform of work opportunities.

Hawk Aircraft (India)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration his Department has given in the last two months to the impact of UK sales of Hawk aircraft to India on the stability of the region in advance of an export licence application.

Lewis Moonie: All export licence applications are considered on a case by case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking into account all the relevant circumstances prevailing at the time the application is received.

Hawk Aircraft (India)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what he has done in the last two months to encourage the sales of Hawk aircraft to India.

Geoff Hoon: The Government continue to support BAE System's proposal to sell Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer aircraft to India. During the Indian Defence Minister's short stopover in Britain in January, I discussed a range of defence matters, including defence export opportunities.

Hawk Aircraft (India)

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when delivery will be taken of the first aircraft if Hawk aircraft are sold to India.

Lewis Moonie: This is a matter for BAE Systems and the Government of India and it would therefore be inappropriate for me to comment.

Qala-I-Jhangi Fort

Tam Dalyell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 December 2001, Official Report, column 964W, what inquiries are taking place into the deaths at Qala-I-Jhangi fort between 25 and 27 November 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: I see no grounds for instituting an inquiry. I am satisfied that the actions of British troops were a perfectly proper response to the situation they encountered at Qala-I-Jhangi fort.

Detainees (Afghanistan)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the US Secretary of State for Defense concerning the treatment of British hostile nationals apprehended in Afghanistan.

Geoff Hoon: I have had a number of discussions with my United States counterpart about the situation in Afghanistan and related issues. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has a permanent presence at Camp X-ray at Guantanamo Bay. The three British prisoners have been seen by British officials and have made no complaints about their conditions or treatment.
	The ICRC is also being allowed access to detainees in Afghanistan. However, our extremely limited consular capacity in Afghanistan and continuing security risks to our staff travelling outside Kabul place a practical limit on what we are able to achieve there.

Detainees (Afghanistan)

Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether detainees in Afghanistan (a) captured and (b) held by United Kingdom forces have been transferred to US forces.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 5 February 2002
	No.

Southern Helicopter Stations

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the armed forces' helicopter stations south of the M4.

Adam Ingram: There are seven armed forces helicopter stations south of the M4. These are:
	Royal Air Force Odiham
	Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton
	Middle Wallop Airfield
	Netheravon Airfield
	Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose
	Royal Air Force St. Mawgan
	Royal Marines Base Chivenor.

Injuries (Female Personnel)

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken to address the number of injuries sustained by women under Army training since the introduction of the gender-free policy.

Adam Ingram: This issue has been kept under close review since the introduction of "gender-free" physical testing in 1998. A number of changes have been made to both the selection and initial training process. In May 2000, a one and a half mile run was introduced at Recruit Selection Centres, to act as a "risk reducer" by identifying those individuals who would be unlikely to be able to complete training. Remedial treatment and physiotherapy services at the Army Training Regiments have been expanded and doctors there have been given better training in sports medicine.
	During 2001, a complete reprofiling of the common military syllabus for recruits at the Army Training Regiments (ATRs) was undertaken. The programming and physical development profile was reviewed and refined to provide a graduated curve of increasing physical intensity to minimise the risk of early traumatic injury. The programme is focused on the average 16 to 18-year-old physical fitness start state, and it is specifically designed to minimise lower limb traumas and soft tissue injuries in the first six weeks of training. Heart rate monitors have been introduced to optimise individual physical development profiles. Lower limb strength training and certain limitations on basic drill have been introduced. The changes were instituted in October 2001 and will be formally assessed in April 2002; first indications are that injury rates in the first nine weeks of training have fallen overall.
	The Army Training and Recruiting Agency has continued to sponsor studies in injury prevention and management, remedial training, ergonomics and nutritional areas; currently there are 10 studies in progress, with the overall aim of reducing injuries and medical discharges during training, for both male and females recruits, to the lowest practicable levels while meeting standards and complying with legislation.

Foot Guards

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is (a) the establishment and (b) the current strength of each of the Regiments in the Foot Guards; and if he will list each element of company strength serving with them, indicating where each battalion has soldiers attached to it from another battalion, (i) which battalion they are from and (ii) in what numbers.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The establishment and strength of each of the Foot Guards Regiments, as at 1 January 2002, is detailed in the table. The figures include all attached arms and also detail the Public Duties Companies that serve away from the main body of the Regiment.
	
		Establishment and strength of Footguard Regiments as at 1 January 2002
		
			   1 Grenadier Guards  N Coy  1 Coldstream Guards  
			  Establishment Strength Establishment Strength Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 Infantry 561 535 107 100 561 547 
			 RAChD 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RLC 23 19 0 1 23 22 
			 RAMC 4 3 0 0 4 3 
			 REME 11 11 0 1 0 1 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 23 0 0 22 22 
			 Royal Signals 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 QARANC 1 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Royal Engineers 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 HCAV 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 0 0 1 2 
			 UKTAP 622 592 107 102 611 599 
			 FTRS 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Whole Army total 624 592 107 102 612 599 
		
	
	
		
			   7 Coy  8 Coy  1 Scots Guards  
			  Establishment Strength Establishment Strength Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 Infantry 107 80 98 98 562 515 
			 RAChD 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 RLC 0 0 0 0 23 17 
			 RAMC 0 0 0 0 4 3 
			 REME 0 1 0 0 11 9 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 0 0 0 0 22 21 
			 Royal Signals 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 QARANC 1 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Royal Engineers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HCAV 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 APTC 0 0 0 0 1 1 
			 UKTAP 107 81 98 98 623 567 
			 FTRS 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Whole Army total 107 81 98 98 624 567 
		
	
	
		
			   F Coy  1 Irish Guards  1 Welsh Guards  
			  Establishment Strength Establishment Strength Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 Infantry 107 111 621 612 590 583 
			 RAChD 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 RLC 0 1 24 20 23 21 
			 RAMC 0 0 4 4 4 3 
			 REME 0 1 0 0 29 24 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 0 0 24 20 22 18 
			 Royal Signals 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 QARANC 1 0 1 0 1 0 
			 Royal Engineers 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 HCAV 0 0 0 3 0 0 
			 APTC 0 0 1 1 1 1 
			 UKTAP 107 113 674 660 669 650 
			 FTRS 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			  
			 Whole Army total 107 113 675 660 670 650

Guards Battalions

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many trained officers and soldiers are serving in the Guards Battalions broken down by nationality.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The number of trained officers and soldiers serving in the Guards Battalions, as at 1 January 2002, broken down by nationality is shown in the table. Figures do not include companies that are serving on public duties. In order to conform to confidentiality regulations, exact numbers for nationalities where representation is less than five cannot be disclosed. The total strengths are therefore quoted in a separate table.
	
		Regiment strengths as at 1 January 2002
		
			 Guards Total strength 
		
		
			 Grenadier 592 
			 Coldstream 599 
			 Scots 567 
			 Irish 660 
			 Welsh 650 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures do not include FTRS and Gurkhas
	
		Trained guards strength by regiment and nationality as at 1 January 2002—PQ2386M
		
			 Nationality Grenadier Coldstream Scots Irish Welsh 
		
		
			 Soldier  
			 Belize (2)— 
			 Fiji/St. Vincent (2)—  7 (2)— (2)— 
			 Gambia (2)— 
			 Hong Kong  (2)—
			 Jamaica  (2)—  (2)—  
			 Kenya (2)— 
			 New Zealand(2)—  
			 Republic of Ireland (2)—   25 (2)— 
			 Zimbabwe (2)— (2)—  (2)—  
			 British/Commonwealth/Foreign(3) 20 17 14 17 9 
			 England 499 518 188 391 125 
			 Irish Republic (2)—   5  
			 Isle of Man   (2)—   
			 Northern Ireland (2)— (2)— (2)— 135 (2)— 
			 Scotland 13 10 307 33 10 
			 South Africa (2)—  (2)— (2)—  
			 Wales (2)— 7 5 (2)— 462 
			   
			 Officer  
			 India  (2)—
			 New Zealand Islands (2)— 
			 Republic of Ireland(2)—  
			 Britain (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— (2)— 
			 Britain/Irish Republic(3)   (2)— (2)—  
			 England 37 32 25 31 29 
			 Isle of Man/Channel Islands  (2)—
			 Northern Ireland   (2)— (2)—  
			 Scotland (2)— (2)— 8 (2)—  
			 Wales (2)—   (2)— (2)— 
		
	
	(2) Indicates that, in order to conform to confidentiality rules, exact numbers less than five cannot be disclosed either directly or indirectly.
	(3) This category indicates those personnel who have dual nationality and class themselves as British/Irish Republic.

Scottish Infantry Battalions

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) establishment and (b) current strength is of each of the regular Scottish infantry battalions; and if he will list each element of company strength serving in them.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The establishment and strength of the Scottish Infantry battalions, as at 1 January 2002, is detailed in the table. The figures include all attached Arms and also details the Scots Guards public duties company that serves away from the main body of the regiment.
	
		Strength of Scottish Infantry Battalions as at 1 January 2002
		
			  Establishment Strength 
		
		
			 1 Royal Scots   
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 12 
			 Scots Div 558 425 
			 Kings Div 0 1 
			 PoW Div 0 11 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 1 
			 RLC 23 19 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 4 
			 REME 11 0 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 22 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 620 496 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 620 496 
			
			  1 Royal Highland Fusiliers 
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 0 
			 Scots Div 558 476 
			 Kings Div 0 0 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 0 
			 RLC 23 17 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 4 
			 REME 11 12 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 21 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 620 531 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 620 531 
			
			  1 Kings Own Scottish Borderers 
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 0 
			 Scots Div 558 585 
			 Kings Div 0 0 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 0 
			 RLC 23 18 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 3 
			 REME 11 17 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 21 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 620 645 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 620 645 
			
			 1 Black Watch   
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 0 
			 Scots Div 618 530 
			 Kings Div 0 1 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 1 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 0 
			 RLC 23 23 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 4 
			 REME 71 57 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 23 23 
			 SASC 0 1 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 741 641 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 741 641 
			
			 1 Highlanders   
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 0 
			 Scots Div 587 461 
			 Kings Div 0 2 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 2 
			 RAChD 0 0 
			 RLC 23 16 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 4 
			 REME 29 11 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 24 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 667 521 
			 Gurkhas 0 103 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 667 624 
			
			  1 Argyll and Southerland Highlanders 
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 0 8 
			 Scots Div 558 522 
			 Kings Div 0 0 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 2 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 1 
			 RLC 23 23 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 4 
			 REME 11 0 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 22 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 0 
			 Total UKTAP 620 582 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 620 582 
			
			 Scots Guards   
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 562 513 
			 Scots Div 0 0 
			 Kings Div 0 1 
			 PoW Div 0 1 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 1 
			 RLC 23 17 
			 QARANC 1 0 
			 RAMC 4 3 
			 REME 11 9 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 22 21 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 1 1 
			 Total UKTAP 624 567 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 624 567 
			
			 F Coy Scots Guards   
			 Infantry   
			 Foot Guards 107 111 
			 Scots Div 0 0 
			 Kings Div 0 0 
			 PoW Div 0 0 
			 Light Div 0 0 
			 R Irish 0 0 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 RAChD 0 0 
			 RLC 0 1 
			 QARANC 0 0 
			 RAMC 0 0 
			 REME 0 1 
			 AG CORPS (SPS) 0 0 
			 SASC 0 0 
			 APTC 0 0 
			 Total UKTAP 107 113 
			 Gurkhas 0 0 
			 FTRS 0 0 
			 Total whole Army 107 113

Sierra Leone

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the death of British soldiers in Sierre Leone on 27 January.

Adam Ingram: Two British soldiers, Corporal Michael Phillips and Rifleman James Coman sustained fatal injuries when the Army Land Rover in which they were travelling was involved in a road traffic accident during the late evening of 27 January. Two other soldiers travelling in the vehicle sustained relatively minor injuries. All four soldiers were admitted to the United Nations hospital in Freetown but, sadly, Corporal Phillips and Rifleman Coman were pronounced dead on arrival. All the soldiers were from lst Battalion, Royal Green Jackets. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and I extend our deep condolences to the families of the dead soldiers.
	The accident occurred about 10 kilometres east of Waterloo near the Benguema Training Centre. The soldiers were on duty at the time. No other vehicle is believed to have been involved. The accident is being investigated by the Special Investigation Branch of the Royal Military Police. A Board of Inquiry is also to be convened.

Correspondence

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 319W, on the Reconnaissance Regiment, when he will write to the hon. Member for New Forest, West.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 8 February 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 16 July 2001, Official Report, column 5W. We are re-addressing the options for the location of the 4th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment and I will therefore write to both Members as soon as the position is clear. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Warship Support Modernisation Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 961W, on the Warship Support Modernisation Project, whether an economic appraisal is being used to assess the value for money implication of the proposals; if value for money will be the overriding factor when he makes his decision; if the practice of comparing proposals on the basis of commercial implications is a new policy; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I confirm that an economic appraisal of the options has been carried out and that the decision on the way ahead will be made on the basis of best value for money. As part of that assessment, it is normal for all the implications of a decision, including the commercial implications, to be considered.

Warship Support Modernisation Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 961W, on the Warship Support Modernisation Project, if he will clarify what is meant by essential terms and conditions of service; whether it includes access to traditional shore-based benefits; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: Royal Naval personnel involved in the partnering arrangements would remain Crown servants under their full current terms of service, without detriment to any applicable benefits. They would remain subject to the Naval Discipline Act and liable for operational duties, military training and other military tasks that may arise from time to time.

Warship Support Modernisation Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 961W, on the Warship Support Modernisation Project, what level of premium, on an annualised hours basis, the Warship Support Agency expects to pay the companies in return for the work undertaken by the naval personnel seconded to them; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Warship Support Agency would not pay any specific premium in respect of the naval service personnel annualised hours arrangements. The companies would pay for the hours at a rate commensurate with the local market rate.

Warship Support Modernisation Project

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 January 2002, Official Report, column 961W, on the Warship Support Modernisation Project, whether the normal process of post tender clarification includes the Warship Support Agency officials providing the sole bidder with details of the historical expenditure on contracts with other contractors; if the companies providing contract services were informed that this information had been provided to a third party; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: It is normal for the nature of current outsourced work and composite historical spend to form part of the disclosure of information to bidders. Disclosure was under signed confidentiality agreements and the information was released in a manner that protects third party interests.

RFA Wave Knight

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to what extent RFA Wave Knight has been damaged in dry dock; what the estimated cost is of repairs; when she will enter service; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: RFA Wave Knight has recently sustained minor damage in two separate incidents while in a flooded dry dock at Inchgreen, Greenock preparing for Contractor's Sea Trials. On the first occasion, on 19 January 2002, the ship listed to starboard, sustaining minor damage to her paint work in the area of the bilge keel. On the second occasion, in the gales of 28 January, the stern of the vessel made contact with the dock wall, causing scratches to the paint work and minor damage to fittings caused by movement of a gangway.
	The cost of repair has not yet been determined. An indemnity scheme exists, under the contract with the shipbuilder, and it is not expected that any costs borne by the defence budget will be significant.
	Wave Knight's in-service date of summer 2002 is unlikely to be affected.

Depleted Uranium (Afghanistan)

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to monitor the (a) short, (b) medium and (c) long-term effects of depleted uranium upon service personnel in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: There are at present no indications that United Kingdom personnel serving in Afghanistan are exposed to a hazard from depleted uranium. It has not been used by coalition forces in recent operations. In the event that we assess that there is a risk of exposure that might be hazardous to health, guidance will be issued on measures to protect health, and if necessary we will introduce biological monitoring on a voluntary basis for individuals who are exposed to such a risk. Short-term monitoring of individuals' health is undertaken as a matter of course.

Submarine Officers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 337W, on submarine officers, how long the training period for general naval duties is; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: In my previous answer to the hon. Member, I explained that all Royal Navy officers undergo a period of general naval training prior to discipline- specific training.
	Naval general training is undertaken at Britannia Royal Naval College Dartmouth over a period of 27 weeks and includes six weeks of initial sea training. It is followed by a four month period of common fleet training and specialist fleet training of between two and six months, depending on specialisation. Officers then proceed to the appropriate professional training for periods between three and 28 months, before commencing their first complement appointment on the Royal Navy's trained strength.

Chemical Warfare Specialists Deployment

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the deployment of (a) soldiers from the Ninth Special Chemical Weapons Unit of the Czech Republic to Kuwait over the next two months and (b) German chemical warfare specialists to the area at the request of the United States; whether the United Kingdom Government have responded to related requests from the US; what assessment he has made of the purpose of such requests; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: It would not be appropriate for me to comment on the deployment of forces by our NATO allies overseas since this is a matter for the Governments of the nations concerned.
	However, I can confirm that we have received no request from our US allies to make similar deployments to Kuwait. Any such request would be considered on its merits and in the light of available resources.

Armed Forces Pay/Pensions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations he has received on conditions of pay and pensions in the armed forces.

Adam Ingram: We receive a large number of representations from individuals, as well as from veterans' organisations and professional bodies. These have mainly concerned pensions matters, including pension troughs, pensions for pre-1975 service taxation of attributable Army pensions, armed forces pension scheme discretionary awards system. There have been a small number of representations concerning pay matters, including the new Pay 2000 arrangements.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

Ship Safety Standards

Candy Atherton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent action the Government have taken to enforce minimum international safety standards on ships using British ports and waters.

David Jamieson: Ships using British ports and waters are subject to a rigorous regime of inspection to check that they comply with minimum international safety standards.
	Ships that are found on inspection to fall short of international safety standards are detained until the defects leading to detention are put right. Ships failing to comply with the terms of release are refused access to British and European ports until the safety standards are met.
	The details of ships detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are published on national and European websites and the ships are targeted for further inspection. Significant breaches of regulations are investigated and followed up by prosecution where appropriate. Details of prosecutions are also published.

Ship Safety Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action will be taken against foreign ships sailing into British ports which fall below safety standards; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Foreign ships calling at British ports are subject to a rigorous regime of inspection to check that they comply with minimum international safety standards.
	Ships that are found on inspection to fall short of international safety standards are detained until the defects leading to detention are put right. Ships failing to comply with the terms of release are refused access to British and European ports until the safety standards are met.
	The details of ships detained by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) are published on national and European websites and the ships are targeted for further inspection. Significant breaches of regulations are investigated and followed up by prosecution where appropriate. Details of prosecutions are also published.
	Two sets of international rules relating to seafarer training and certification and safety management will be introduced in 2002 and will be enforced through the inspection regime.

Ship Safety Standards

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many foreign ships have fallen short of safety standards while in British ports in each year since 1997; what measures have been put in place to deal with these ships; how much money has been spent dealing with such ships; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The number of times foreign ships have been detained for falling short of safety standards following inspection in British ports is given in the table, for each year since 1997.
	
		
			  Number of detentions 
		
		
			 1997–98 179 
			 1998–99 155 
			 1999–00 106 
			 2000–01 116 
			 2001–02 (4)— 
		
	
	(4) This figure is not yet available.
	Ships that have been detained are not permitted to sail until the deficiencies are put right. A ship that does not comply with the conditions of release from detention may be banned from operating to ports in the UK and Europe.
	Information on the results of inspections is shared with other European coastal countries and widely published. Ships with a poor inspection history are targeted for further inspection within the region, with the risk of further sanctions.
	The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) investigates any significant breach of safety regulations and may prosecute if appropriate.The budget in 2001–02 for inspection and enforcement of international, European and national rules on safety and pollution prevention for all ships using British ports is £2,924,000. The money spent on inspection and enforcement relating to foreign ships only is not available.

Disabled Rail Passengers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 533W, on the needs of disabled passengers in train operating company franchises, on what date he expects the revised code of practice to be published; what representations (a) his Department and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority have received regarding the modification of this code of practice; and whether train operating companies will also be expected to modify provisions for the disabled through the franchise agreement process.

John Spellar: The revised code of practice was published on 6 February. The Strategic Rail Authority consulted widely on the content of the revised code, including such bodies as DPTAC, the DRC, and the railway industry. Over 200 responses were received.
	All licensed operators on the national rail network are required to review their Disabled Peoples Protection Policies (DPPPs) to reflect the revised code. Enforcement of these revised DPPPs will be through licence conditions rather than franchise agreements, though having appropriate licences is a condition precedent of entering into a franchise agreement.

Road Accidents (Mobile Phones)

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will estimate the number of road accidents last year which were related to use of mobile phones by drivers.

David Jamieson: The causes of road accidents can only be established through detailed investigation. Two research projects currently under way will help to establish the likely numbers of road traffic accidents involving mobile phones.

Aviation Industry

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the requirement for aircraft to carry a Mode S transponder by March 2003; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: Although several European states intend to implement Mode S from March 2003, it is our intention to introduce Mode S within en-route and terminal airspace from March 2005. The introduction of Mode S in all remaining UK airspace will be delayed for a further three years to March 2008 to tie in with ICAO transponder carriage rule changes resulting in a single regulatory change.
	The CAA is consulting appropriate user groups and published advanced information on the Government's Mode S proposals in an Aeronautical Information Circular (Number 88/2001) in December 2001. The Mode S and transponder carriage requirements will be subject to formal consultation and submission of a Regulatory Impact Assessment in due course.

Aviation Industry

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on recreational flying of requirements for aircraft to carry a Mode S transponder from March 2003.

David Jamieson: In pursuing Mode S, the Government are conscious of the implications for all users and will only require Elementary Mode S Surveillance in the open Flight Information Region where the safety benefits are the prime consideration. Moreover, this requirement will not be made mandatory till 2008 to coincide with an ICAO transponder rule change, thereby resulting in a single regulatory change which will minimise the impact on recreational flying.
	The CAA is consulting appropriate user groups and published advanced information on the Government's Mode S proposals in an Aeronautical Information Circular (Number 88/2001) in December 2001. The Mode S and transponder carriage requirements will be subject to formal consultation and submission of a Regulatory Impact Assessment in due course.

Aviation Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assistance he has given to the airline industry since the 11 September terrorist attacks.

David Jamieson: The Government acted quickly to underwrite, on a temporary basis, third party war risk insurance for UK airlines and service providers to the airline industry. This is an initiative which has subsequently been widely copied elsewhere, and the UK has now extended the scheme to 20 March.
	On Thursday 13 December 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions announced a package of up to £40 million in financial assistance designed to compensate airlines for the closure of US, Israeli and central London airspace in the period immediately following the terrorist attacks. 12 claims for assistance under this scheme have been received and these are currently being examined. We expect to make payments shortly.

Aviation Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures have been introduced since 11 September 2001 to improve security onboard aircraft and at airports.

David Jamieson: Following the attacks on 11 September, heightened aviation security measures were introduced at all UK airports and for all airlines operating from the UK. Security still remains at an enhanced level. However, to divulge details of the measures would undermine their effectiveness.

Aviation Industry

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what measures have been introduced since 1997 to assist United Kingdom aviation; and if he will make a statement.

David Jamieson: The Government are actively committed to the UK aviation industry. Since 1997 we have secured significant additional rights for UK carriers in a number of bilateral markets, such as Japan, India, South Africa and Singapore. We have also liberalised access to UK regional airports.
	A number of large investment projects have been approved since 1997 at major UK airports. In addition we have provided that financially sound local authority owned airport companies can be removed from central government borrowing control. The companies operating Leeds-Bradford, Manchester, Newcastle and Norwich airports were removed from borrowing control with effect from 1 April 1999.
	A public-private partnership has been established for National Air Traffic Services, to provide private sector finance and project management expertise for a major capital investment programme. The new air traffic control centre at Swanwick was successfully brought into operation on 27 January this year.
	Later this year the Government are committed to issuing a White Paper on air transport, the first comprehensive policy statement in this area since the 1980s. It will be a wide-ranging document, setting out a policy framework for the future of aviation and airports in the UK, looking ahead 30 years.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions who is responsible for paying the costs of maintenance of the millennium dome until the contract with Meridian Delta has been completed.

Sally Keeble: As owner, English Partnerships is responsible for maintenance of the dome until the proposed deal with Meridian Delta Ltd. has been concluded. All related costs will be recovered from eventual sale proceeds.

Millennium Dome

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the proceeds of the sale of the millennium dome and the surrounding area will be returned to the National Lottery distribution fund; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: An announcement will be made in due course on the division of proceeds from the sale of the dome and surrounding land, in the context of the deal to be concluded with Meridian Delta Ltd.

National Air Traffic Services

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of the income generated by the National Air Traffic Control Services in the period September 2001 to April 2002; and what the income was in the same period in 2000–01.

David Jamieson: NATS income is reported each year in the published annual accounts of the company. The accounts for financial year 2001–02 will be published in summer 2002.

National Air Traffic Services

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much of the debenture of £247,697,000 has been repaid to his Department so far in 2001–02 by National Air Traffic Services Ltd; and how much is due to be repaid by 31 March 2002.

John Spellar: holding answer 8 February 2002
	This debenture was repaid in full on the completion of the public private partnership for National Air Traffic Services Ltd on 26 July 2001.

Rail Provision (South Coast)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  what plans he has for the provision of additional tracks on the single-line sections of the south coastal route from Portsmouth to Ashford; and what is (a) the status of, (b) the start date of and (c) the expected completion date for such works;
	(2)  what plans he has for infrastructure works on the south coastal route from Portsmouth to Ashford to increase the number of locations where fast trains can overtake the slower services; and what is (a) the status of, (b) the start date of and (c) the expected completion date for such works.

Stephen Byers: The Heads of Terms signed by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) and GoVia for the South Central franchise include a commitment to development of south coast routes—upgrading of infrastructure facilities to allow faster trains to overtake slower stopping services on the south coastway. This work is included in the SRA's Strategic Plan as a development by 2010. Negotiations between the SRA and GoVia are continuing towards the new South Central franchise agreement.

Helicopter Flights

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what limits are set on the height of helicopters flying over residential areas of south-west London.

David Jamieson: Civil helicopter operators are required to adhere to the Rules of the Air Regulations 1996. These require that helicopters should not fly within 500 feet of any person, vessel, vehicle or structure (except when landing or taking off) nor below 1,500 feet over a congested area unless written permission has been obtained from the Civil Aviation Authority, or in certain other specified circumstances. Police helicopters are broadly exempted. Airspace constraints require that the 1,500 feet restriction is disapplied by the CAA, in some areas. Rule 5(1)(c) further specifies an area of London, including parts of south-west London, over which a helicopter may not without permission fly below such height as would enable it to alight clear of the area in the event of failure of a power unit.
	To assist helicopter operators in complying with these rules and in maintaining safe clearance from other air traffic, the CAA has published a chart showing helicopter routes in the London Control Zone, with relevant altitudes shown. Routes H3 and H7 overfly parts of south-west London at altitudes between 1,000 feet and 2,000 feet.
	Policy on military helicopters is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence.

Helicopter Flights

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent representations he has made to air traffic control for Heathrow concerning helicopters in south west London.

David Jamieson: None.

Helicopter Flights

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what controls are in place to limit the numbers of helicopters flying over Kew and Chiswick.

David Jamieson: No such limits are set.

Strategic Rail Plan

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether the SRA Strategic Plan will deliver additional capacity at a faster rate than projected passenger growth.

David Jamieson: holding answer 4 February 2002
	The Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan sets out policies and major investment projects needed to address the projected growth in both passengers and freight.

Shoreham Port Authority

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date he reappointed board members to Shoreham Port Authority and if he will name those appointed; what the reasons were for not reappointing previous board members to Shoreham Port Authority; what plans he has for further appointments to Shoreham Port Authority; and when they will be announced.

David Jamieson: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Seven members of the Shoreham Port Authority have been re-appointed to the board with effect from 1 January 2002. These are Brian Wheeler, Peter Minchin, Brian Blundell, Rod Danes, Pat Hawkes, Bob Carden and Neil Parkin.
	Two existing members were not re-appointed. One of these members had recently retired and the nominating body has declined to nominate a new representative. The second member was not considered for re-appointment due to their length of service.
	Both of these vacancies have been advertised and will be filled by an open and accountable appointments procedure involving the Department, Shoreham Port Authority and an independent assessor. The results of this open competition will be announced in due course.

Housing Development

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions 
	(1)  if he will list the planning applications for housing development in England involving greenfield sites which have been referred to him as departure applications since 1 January 2001 and provide details of the number of houses and area of land involved in each case;
	(2)  if he will list planning applications for housing development in England on greenfield sites (a) which he has called in and (b) for which he has issued a holding direction since 1 January 2001, indicating the location, number of houses and area of land involved;
	(3)  if he will list planning applications notified to him under the Town and Country Planning (Residential Development on Greenfield Land) (England) Directive 2000 since 1 January 2001, indicating the location, number of houses and area of land involved in each case.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list of planning applications is based on information supplied to the Department by local authorities. Assumptions have had to be made about particular applications in order to present the information in the form sought. The information provided should not be taken as the definitive view of the Secretary of State for the purposes of decision-making.

Train Drivers

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 54W, on train drivers, if he will state the locations at which information on train driver numbers is held; and if he will list the steps which the Strategic Rail Authority (a) has taken and (b) plans to take to encourage train operating companies to recruit sufficient drivers.

John Spellar: The most comprehensive information on driver numbers is held by the Association of Train Operating Companies. Where train operators have experienced difficulty in maintaining sufficient driver numbers and service has deteriorated, the Strategic Rail Authority has taken enforcement action, as they did with South West Trains in 1997 and with Arriva Trains Northern at the end of last year. As part of the two-year extension recently agreed on GNER the company has committed to a programme of driver recruitment to help overcome the current shortage within the industry. The Strategic Rail Authority will be able to secure further provisions as other franchises are extended or replaced.

London Underground

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the meetings that each of his ministerial team and himself had in (a) December 2001 and (b) January 2002 with representatives of London Underground.

John Spellar: My right hon. Friend and ministerial colleagues meet London Underground on both a regular and ad hoc basis, to discuss a variety of relevant matters.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much money the Government have (a) lent and (b) made available to Railtrack in administration since 5 October 2001; and how much more money is available for Railtrack in administration to draw down by the end of March (i) 2002 and (ii) 2003.

John Spellar: To date, £1.495 billion has been drawn down from the commercial loan of £2.1 billion that the Government made available at the commencement of the administration. No formal request has been received from the administrator for additional funds.

Railtrack

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the monthly investment spend is by Railtrack in administration; and what the monthly rate is of pre-tax loss after interest and depreciation.

John Spellar: This is a matter for the administrator.

Railtrack

John Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much profit Railtrack declared shortly after being put into administration.

John Spellar: Railtrack Group plc's interim report and accounts for the six months to 30 September 2001 reported an accounting pre-tax profit of £292 million. Nevertheless, it is entirely possible for a company to make a profit and yet be unable to pay its debts. The evidence presented to, and accepted by, the High Court on 7 October showed that Railtrack plc was, or was likely to soon be, unable to pay its debts. It was open to Railtrack to oppose administration. They chose not to do so.

Mortgages (Public Sector Workers)

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the rents to mortgages schemes for public sector workers living in London; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: "Rent to Mortgage" is one of a number of Government low-cost home ownership schemes available to a range of people, including public sector workers.
	"Rent to Mortgage" allows qualifying tenants to purchase a share of their home, at a discount, with mortgage payments similar to the rent they are currently paying. The landlord retains a share in the property, but the purchaser can pay this off at a later date. Further information is contained in our free booklet "Your right to buy your home", which is available from local authorities or from my Department.
	Our Starter Home initiative is helping around 4,600 key public sector workers, such as teachers, health workers and police, into home ownership in London. Most of these schemes involve equity loans or shared ownership.
	Key workers can also benefit from the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme. This provides homes for rent, and for low cost home ownership through schemes such as Homebuy and shared ownership, and through Do-It-Yourself shared ownership schemes which are supported by some local authorities.

Road Traffic

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which local authorities have set targets for the overall level of road traffic in their area as part of their full local transport plans, giving the targets set in each case for traffic reduction, in each year since the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 came into force.

Sally Keeble: As part of their full local transport plans submitted in July 2000, local traffic authorities in England (outside London) submitted road traffic reduction reports as required by the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997. Copies of the reports have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. A number of authorities, shown in italics in a table which has been placed in the Libraries of the House, submitted plans containing targets for the overall level of road traffic for their area. Others set targets for part of their area or for some types of traffic. Authorities are not required to establish targets under the Road Traffic Reduction Act 1997 on an annual basis.

National Concessionary Coach Scheme

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will outline the mechanism by which the national concessionary coach scheme will work.

Sally Keeble: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 735W.

DVLA

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how long on average it took the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency to renew driving licences for those drivers who (a) require and (b) do not require associated eyesight tests in the last 12 months.

John Spellar: The information requested is as follows:
	The charter mark standard for dealing with applications with a medical involvement is five weeks for ordinary driving licences. If a decision cannot be made within this timescale, the applicant is advised of the reason. In this financial year, over 60 per cent. of medical applications have been completed within five weeks. Cases where eyesight tests are required will generally take longer than five weeks to complete because of the dependency on third parties to carry out the tests.
	The charter mark standard for applications for the issue of ordinary driving licences with no medical involvement is 15 working days. During the last 12 months, some 99.3 per cent. of applicants received their ordinary driving licence within 11 days.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 17

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects to announce his response to the consultation on the draft PPG17.

Sally Keeble: An analysis and summary of responses to the consultation draft will be made available when the final version of PPG 17 is published.

Planning Policy Guidance Note 17

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to consult national governing bodies of sport on the revised draft of PPG 17.

Sally Keeble: The views of national governing bodies of sport were received during the consultation period. While we do not intend to conduct further consultation with them specifically, my officials will be consulting further with Sport England in drafting the final version of PPG 17.

Neighbourhood Renewal Fund

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how eligibility for funding from the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund is determined; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: The list of authorities eligible for the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund has been determined by taking those authorities that are among the 50 most deprived on any of the six measures in the Indices of Deprivation 2000 (ID2000). On this basis 81 authorities are eligible. The Government also decided that there should be transitional arrangements for those authorities that were within the 50 most deprived areas on any of the four measures under the old Index of Local Deprivation, but are not in the list of 81 authorities that qualify using the ID2000. Due to this, a further seven local authority areas are eligible for the fund, making a total of 88 eligible authorities.
	The sum to be allocated to each authority is based on a standard amount per head of population in those wards in the authority that are in the most deprived 10 per cent. of all wards nationally, with a minimum allocation of £200,000 for any eligible authority in 2001–02. This relates an authority's grant funding to the severity of deprivation within its area, measured by the number of their residents living in particularly deprived areas.

High Hedges

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish the simplified version of the guidelines on hedge height and light loss.

Sally Keeble: We expect to launch the simplified version of these guidelines in the spring. We are working with interested parties such as local authority, professional, consumer and advice groups to make sure the guidelines are user-friendly.

Local Authority Debt (Demolished Buildings)

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the level of the outstanding debt of local authorities that relates to buildings that have now been demolished.

Stephen Byers: Although local authorities borrow to fund specific projects, the outstanding debt is held and managed centrally within an authority. Directors of Finance will, as a matter of good treasury management, reschedule and refinance their debt portfolio. It is therefore not possible over time to assign individual loans to specific projects, such as the construction, repair or maintenance of dwellings that have since been demolished.

Electoral Modernisation Pilot Schemes

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 720W, on electoral modernisation pilot schemes, for what reason an announcement on the successful bidders was not made at the end of January; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Byers: The announcement was made to the House on Tuesday 5 February when we had concluded, in partnership with the Electoral Commission, the Local Government Association and the office of the e-Envoy, our consideration of the bids.

Railway Lines (Reopening)

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list those dismantled railway lines which have been re-opened since 1972; who the promoter was in each case; and what was the cost to public funds.

John Spellar: holding answer 7 February 2002
	My Department does not hold such information.

Underspending (Roads)

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the underspend was for the capital budget on roads in the past 12 months.

John Spellar: holding answer 7 February 2002
	In 2000–01, capital spending by the Highways Agency on the strategic road network was underspent by £14 million against a budget of £882 million which represented an underspend of 1.6 per cent. For 2001–02, the Highways Agency are forecasting to be on budget for their current capital allocation of £1069 million.
	Capital funding for local roads is allocated to local authorities via the local transport plan capital settlement. Monitoring procedures do not separate out the road elements of this spend. In 2000–01 total LTP capital spending was underspent by £9 million against a final budget of £816 million, which represented an underspend of around 1.1 per cent.
	For 2001–02, over £1.36 billion of transport capital spending was allocated to local authorities. We do not expect a substantial budget underspend.

Tram Lines

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action he is taking to encourage new tram lines; and if he will make a statement.

Sally Keeble: Transport 2010: The 10-year plan includes as one of the Department's Public Service Agreement targets doubling light rail patronage over the decade to 2010. Our assessment is that the funding included in the plan will enable provision of up to 25 new light rail lines in major cities around the country, providing each scheme satisfies the Department's appraisal and obtains the necessary powers. The availability of such funds and the Government's positive stance towards light rail have encouraged local authorities to come forward with proposals.
	My Department has already approved 11 new lines and is considering three more proposals. Several other plans for new systems or extensions to existing ones are being prepared. Light rail is also an option for at least one of the four Intermediate Mode Transit schemes which Transport for London are currently appraising.

Aircraft Noise

Jimmy Wray: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what regulations there are to ensure that noise levels from aircraft flying over residential areas are kept to a minimum; and if he will make a statement.

John Spellar: Aircraft noise "at source" is regulated according to the certification requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). Operational noise is subject to rules and procedures set by each airport. Controls available to airports include noise preferential routes for departures, departure noise limits, approach procedures, night restrictions and noise- differentiated charges.
	The Secretary of State has powers to designate an airport under s.80 for the purposes of s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982, under which noise controls can be set. At present, Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports are so designated. He may also specify an aerodrome under s.5 of the 1982 Act, requiring the CAA to have regard to environmental factors in its licensing functions; hitherto no aerodrome has been so specified.
	The air transport White Paper, which we intend to publish later this year, will deal with the future direction of policy on aircraft noise regulation.

British Partnerships

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people are directly employed under the auspices of English Partnerships; and how many equivalent full-time posts this represents.

Sally Keeble: As at 31 January 2002, 372 staff were directly employed under the auspices of English Partnerships. The full-time equivalent is 367.

Rail Use

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many (a) passenger kilometres were travelled and (b) freight tonnes moved on the railways in the (i) year to March 2001 and (ii) year to March 2000.

John Spellar: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The information is available in the Strategic Rail Authority's "National Rail Trends" publication, a copy of which is in the Libraries of the House.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Christopher Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the extent of vehicle excise duty evasion was in each of the last five years.

John Spellar: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The last national roadside survey of VED evasion involving the checking of over one million vehicle numbers took place in June 1999. This estimated that the revenue lost from VED evasion was equivalent to 3.9 per cent. of the total revenue that should be raised. The previous roadside survey was carried out in June 1994 when the evasion rate was estimated at 4.1 per cent. of total revenue due. Evasion was lower in 1999 than in 1994 for all main vehicle classes.
	The next roadside survey will take place in June this year.

Neighbourhood and Village Action Plans

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what resources he will make available outside neighbourhood renewal areas to support an increase in community capacity to participate in the proposed neighbourhood and village action plans and local development frameworks.

Sally Keeble: The Green Paper "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" proposes that local authorities should work with Local Strategic Partnerships and other bodies to establish more effective mechanisms for community involvement in both the preparation of plans and in taking decisions on planning applications. The Green Paper acknowledges the importance of properly resourced local planning authorities to the delivery of an improved planning system. An increase in planning fees from April 2002 has been announced, and there is to be a review of that regime. The resourcing needs of the local planning service is also being considered in the context of the current spending review.

Planning Tariff System

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated to determine the developmental benefits will accrue from his proposed planning tariff system.

Sally Keeble: The Government propose that planning obligations should be refocused to deliver sustainable development and used as a mechanism to ensure that development provides social, economic and environmental benefits to the community as a whole. This proposal has not been explicitly researched.

Planning Tariff System

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much he projects will be raised by local authorities through the operation of his proposed planning tariff system.

Sally Keeble: The consultation document "Planning obligations: delivering a fundamental change" proposes that a tariff should replace negotiated planning obligations in most circumstances and offers a number of options about how a tariff might be levied. The value of the tariff to each local authority will depend upon the precise workings of the tariff—to be determined in the light of the consultation—a local authority's policies in respect of levying the tariff, and the volume and value of development taking place in its area.

National Park Authorities

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what guidance he has issued to regional assemblies on the involvement of national park authorities in their deliberations.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Guidance issued in 1999 indicated that at least 30 per cent. of the membership of regional chambers should be drawn from economic, social and environmental partners (while maintaining a majority of local authority members). Subject to complying with the guidance it is for each chamber to decide on its membership.

Local Authority Housing

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the rent loss on vacant properties for each local authority with housing stock for the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Byers: holding answer 8 February 2002
	A table showing the rent loss on vacant properties during the financial year 2000–01 for those local authorities with housing stock on 31 March 2001 has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	Some of the criteria that need to be taken into account when comparing rent losses across local authorities include:
	(a) Local authorities may differ in the way they count vacancies: so whereas some may include all vacancies, even of just a day or so, others may base their calculations on long-term empties only and ignore short-term, transitional vacancies.
	(b) Local authorities with large stock might be expected to have higher rent losses than authorities with little stock.
	(c) Rent losses in an authority with high rent levels will be higher than the rent losses due to the same number of vacant days in an authority with low rents.
	(d) Local authorities in low demand areas may have longer void periods and therefore higher rent losses than those in areas of high demand.
	Local authorities not shown in this table had no stock on 31 March 2001.

Genetically Modified Organisms

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information on genetically modified organisms research is available on the public register; and what categories have been removed.

Alan Whitehead: I have made a direction that the information concerning the location of and activities relating to those pathogens and toxins listed in Schedule 5 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 shall be withheld from the register maintained under section 24 of the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000.
	This is a sensible precautionary step in the current situation. It is a temporary measure which will keep off the register information which is sensitive on the grounds of national security. A system of annual reviews will be put in place to consider information excluded from the register, with the aim of keeping to a minimum information which has to be excluded in the interests of national security. The measure will affect only a small number of the contained use premises and activities notified under the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000.
	Premises where activities involving genetic modification are to be carried out and activities which are classified as having some risk to humans or the environment have to be notified to the competent authority under the regulations.
	It is important to note that the action of withholding information from the register would not affect the arrangements in place to ensure the safety and security of the sites and materials concerned.
	The public register was re-opened this morning. It contains all the information about notified activities except that relating to activities withdrawn from the register because of the direction. The register includes a list of these excluded pathogens and toxins but no details of the activities or their locations.

Travel Concessions (Pensioners)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer (ref. 33788), if he will list those authorities providing more generous pensioners' travel concessions than the statutory minimum.

Sally Keeble: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Based on my Department's recent survey, those local authorities with schemes that are better than the statutory minimum requirement (ie half-fares on local buses for elderly and disabled people, with no charge for the pass) are as follows:
	London
	London boroughs
	PTAs
	Greater Manchester
	Merseyside
	South Yorkshire
	Tyne and Wear
	West Midlands
	West Yorkshire
	Counties
	Derbyshire
	Lancashire
	Leicestershire
	Nottinghamshire
	Unitary authorities
	Blackpool
	Bracknell Forest
	Leicester City
	Luton
	Nottingham
	Plymouth
	Reading
	Rutland
	Southampton
	District councils
	Bedford
	Mid Bedfordshire
	South Buckinghamshire
	Chester
	Derwentside
	Durham City
	Easington
	Sedgefield
	Wear Valley
	Havant
	Rushmoor
	St. Albans
	West Lindsay
	Daventry
	East Northamptonshire
	Blyth Valley
	Oxford
	Vale of White Horse
	Cannock Chase
	Nuneaton and Bedworth
	Warwick
	Bromsgrove
	Crawley
	Redditch.

Lord Birt

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with Lord Birt since his appointment to the Forward Strategy Unit last year.

John Spellar: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Members for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) and for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on Friday 11 January 2002 Official Report, columns 567–68W.

Skips

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress his Department has made in relation to changing the regulations governing reflective paint on skips.

David Jamieson: My Department has been working with the British Standards Institution to develop a British Standard for a new generation of high-performance retroreflective materials, which will be considerably brighter than traditional products. The draft standard completed its consultation stage last month.
	Publication of the new standard is a matter for BSI, once technical comments have been resolved, but we hope that this will be before the end of this year. I then intend to consult on an amendment to the current regulations which would permit local authorities to specify the use of these high performance materials for markings on skips, as an alternative to using lamps in conjunction with lower grade retroreflective markings.

Councillors' Interests

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his intention that parish councillors should be bound under the code of conduct to declare gifts and hospitality of over £25 in value only if received in connection with their official duties.

Alan Whitehead: Yes. Paragraph 1 of the schedule to the code of conduct makes it clear that parish members will only have to declare gifts and hospitality over the value of £25, if the gifts or hospitality are received in connection with the business of the council, the office to which they have been elected or appointed, or when they are acting as representatives of the council.

Automatic Train Protection Warning System

Martin Salter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his Department's policy regarding the timescale for the introduction of the automatic train protection warning scheme was (a) in 2000 and (b) as of 4 February 2002; and if he will make a statement regarding changes of policy between these dates.

John Spellar: The Department's policy on train protection remains as set out in the Railway Safety Regulations 1999. These regulations require the installation by the end of 2003 of equipment designed to cause the brakes of a train to be applied automatically in specified circumstances.

Council Tax

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the average Band D council tax bill in Suffolk in each year since 1993.

Alan Whitehead: The average Band D council tax bill in Suffolk in each year since 1993 is shown in the table below.
	
		Average Band D council tax bill(5)
		
			   £ 
		
		
			 1993–94 511 
			 1994–95 564 
			 1995–96 581 
			 1996–97 610 
			 1997–98 651 
			 1998–99 706 
			 1999–2000 761 
			 2000–01 816 
			 2001–02 873 
		
	
	(5) Based on two adults in Suffolk
	The average Band D council tax bill for Suffolk has been calculated by dividing the total estimated council tax income by the tax base for all local authorities in Suffolk.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Ministerial Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

International Criminal Court

Vera Baird: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to support the conferences on ratification of the Statute for the International Criminal Court for (a) Mongolia in January, (b) ECOWAS states in January, (c) Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras in February and (d) southern Asia in February.

Denis MacShane: The first, third and fourth of these conferences have been organised by NGOs: respectively Forum Asia, Human Rights Watch and Parliamentarians for Global Action. All are members of the overarching "Coalition for an International Criminal Court (CICC)". CICC provides financial assistance to such conferences. HMG made a grant of $50,000 to CICC in FY 2001–02.
	The ECOWAS conference was supported by the Canadian Government and the International Red Cross.

Departmental Expenditure

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list his Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98.

Denis MacShane: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 692W.

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage participation by his Department in fair trade fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Denis MacShane: The FCO has no plans to participate in fair trade fortnight. The Department for International Development is providing £120,000 to the Fairtrade Foundation over 2001–03 in support of its efforts to target new groups through its annual fair trade fortnight campaigns. My private office seeks to offer fair trade tea and coffee to visitors.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Denis MacShane: The information is given in the table:
	
		Million 
		
			 Complete financial years Capital Maintenance 
		
		
			 1997–98 33.9 10.1 
			 1998–99 35.9 9.7 
			 1999–2000 35.3 8.6 
			 2000–01 23.0 12.0 
		
	
	It would occur disproportionate cost to provide exact figures for all the numbers of contracts let in each of these years.
	Of the 13 contracts let by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office since 1997 in excess of £500,000, 12 were with companies whose registered offices are in England and Wales, and one has its registered office overseas. The 12 suppliers were Global Crossing, Computacentre, Cap Gemini Ernst and Young, AIT, Sytation, Logica, Integris, Cedar, Microsoft, NAI, CMG and Biomni. The overseas company was Amita, registered in Canada.

Burundi

Fabian Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on (a) the peace process in Burundi and (b) the potential role of the UN in Burundi.

Denis MacShane: We are encouraged by the steps that the transitional Government in Burundi has taken to secure peace and stability since the start of its term in November last year. The deployment of South African troops to protect returning political leaders has played a key role in this process. The security situation, however, remains unstable. Without an agreed ceasefire, the United Nations will continue to focus on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Equal Representation

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK Government are taking to encourage the equal representation of women at all levels in diplomatic, humanitarian and peacekeeping operations.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has set targets to increase the proportion of women where they are under- represented in the diplomatic service. These targets and progress towards them are published in the FCO's annual report. A gender diversity adviser was appointed in 2000 to support this activity—the FCO is the only Whitehall Department to create such a role.
	The UK makes very effort to put forward skilled female candidates for humanitarian and peacekeeping operations, and will continue to do so. Female military and police officers are routinely deployed into the UN missions.

Elhannan Tannenbaum

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the case of Elhannan Tannenbaum.

Ben Bradshaw: Elhannan Tannenbaum—an Israeli businessman reservist colonel—has been held hostage by Hizbullah since 7 October 2000. On 3 May 2001 the then Foreign Secretary, my right hon. Friend the Member for Livingston (Mr. Cook), and the then Minister of State my right hon. Friend the Member for Cunninghame, North (Mr. Wilson), met Mr. Tannenbaum's family. The Government are doing all they can to help and have raised this case and those of other missing Israeli soldiers with relevant countries in the region and will continue to do so, pressing particularly for access to the hostages for the International Committee of the Red Cross. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister also raised the missing Israeli soldiers during his visit to the middle east at the end of October 2001. We strongly support all efforts to secure the release of all hostages, particularly efforts led by the United Nations Secretary General.

Western Sahara

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the USA with regard to the referendum on the right to self-determination in western Sahara.

Ben Bradshaw: Foreign Office officials in Washington and in our United Nations mission in New York remain in regular contact with their American counterparts about the referendum on the right to self-determination in western Sahara.
	Like our American colleagues, we continue to support the efforts of James Baker, the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the dispute. We look forward to James Baker's report on developments in the region before the end of the current MINURSO mandate on 28 February 2002.

Nuclear Weapons

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Nottingham, South (Mr. Simpson) of 20 November 2001, Official Report, columns 185–86W, on nuclear weapons, if he will make it his policy to engage permanent members of the Security Council in negotiations on nuclear weapon reduction.

Ben Bradshaw: All five nuclear weapons states are committed under the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to the ultimate goal of nuclear disarmament, and have discussions on this and related issues in that context. The UK has made it clear that we will include our nuclear weapons in multilateral negotiations as soon as appropriate, but the circumstances do not yet exist to make starting such negotiations a practical proposition.

Iran

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the United States Administration on relations with Iran.

Ben Bradshaw: During his visit to Washington on 31 January and 1 February my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed a wide range of issues, including Iran.

Council of Europe

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements he intends to put in place for briefings to members of the Council of Europe on reports prepared by rapporteurs from the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue to co-ordinate briefing from Whitehall Departments for members of the UK delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on all reports debated at the assembly's part-sessions, including those prepared by UK rapporteurs.

North and South Korea

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent initiatives have been taken to make progress with rapprochement between North and South Korea.

Denis MacShane: The UK supports President Kim Dae Jung's policy of engagement toward North Korea.
	President Kim Dae Jung visited the UK as a Guest of Government in December 2001 and discussed north/south relations with the Prime Minister, who reiterated UK support for the rapprochement process. This was followed by a visit by the North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Choe Su Hon, during which the Foreign Secretary and I stressed the need for North Korea's record on missile proliferation and human rights remains of great concern. I have recently written to Mr. Choe setting out UK support for north-south rapprochement and urging North Korea to abide by the international norms of diplomatic and political relations between countries.

UK Mission (Kabul)

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the personnel appointed to the UK mission in Kabul by rank and gender.

Ben Bradshaw: FCO staff currently deployed to the British Embassy in Kabul are as follows:
	1 x Head of Mission (Senior Management Structure)—male
	1 x Counsellor—male
	4 x First Secretary—three males, one female
	1 x Second Secretary—male
	1 x Support Attaché—male.

Visa Applications

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications were dealt with by each overseas high commission, embassy and consulate in the last year for which information is available; and what proportion were (a) granted for study purposes, (b) granted for holiday purposes, (c) granted for other purposes and (d) denied.

Ben Bradshaw: All entry clearance posts submit an annual statistical return. This information is collated in the Entry Clearance Annual Statistics booklet, copies of which are currently available in the House Library. The latest year for which this information is available is 2000.
	The information in the booklet represents the only statistical data currently available. It does not, for example, differentiate between many of the non-settlement categories of visas.

United Kingdom Diplomats

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  in how many countries the United Kingdom was represented by (a) a resident (i) high commissioner and (ii) ambassador, (b) a non-resident (i) high commissioner and (ii) ambassador and (c) a consul in each year since 1997, indicating where that representation changed in that time;
	(2)  how many high commissions, embassies and consulates have been (a) opened and (b) closed in each year since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is available in the departmental reports for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which have been deposited in the Libraries of the House. The following posts have changed their category during this period:
	1997–98
	Banja Luka
	Opened as an embassy mission
	Barranquilla Post
	Closed locally engaged staff only (LE)
	Zurich
	Closed UK based staffed post
	Hong Kong
	Dependent territory which became a consulate general on hand over to China
	1998–99
	Kuching
	Closed UK based post
	Chiang Mai
	Closed UK based post
	Lome
	Opened as LE only post
	1999–2000
	Calgary
	Opened as LE only post
	Chongqing
	Opened as consulate general
	Bangalore
	Changed from LE only to trade office
	Fukuoka
	Opened as LE only post
	Nagoya
	Changed from LE only to trade office
	Gothenburg
	Opened as consulate general
	Cleveland
	Closed UK based post
	Seville
	Closed LE post
	2000–01
	Conakry
	Opened as LE only post
	Port-au-Prince
	Opened as LE only post
	Ahmedabad
	Opened as LE only post
	Bhopal
	Opened as LE only post
	Goa
	Opened as LE only post
	Hyderabad
	Opened as LE only post
	Puna
	Opened as LE only post
	Dili
	Opened as an embassy mission
	Tripoli
	Reopened as an embassy
	Bamako
	Opened as LE only post
	Monterrey
	Changed from LE only to trade office
	Denver
	Opened as a consulate
	Pristina Mission
	Opened as UK representation to the UN
	2001–02
	Bamako
	Changed from LE only to embassy
	Lahore
	Changed from LE only to trade office
	Pyongyang
	Opened as an embassy
	Tarawa
	Opened as LE only post
	Kabul
	Opened as an embassy.
	We have plans to open embassies in Bishkek, Chisinau and Dushanbe before the end of the financial year.

WALES

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Paul Murphy: Since it was established on 1 July 1999, the Information Technology requirements of the Wales Office have been met, by means of a service level agreement, through the PFI contract which the National Assembly for Wales holds with Siemens Business Systems. The costs are as follows:
	1999–2000 (July to March)
	£180,250
	2000–01 (full year)
	£216,300
	2001–02 (April to December)
	£162,220.
	Prior to 1 July 1999 the cost of the Siemens Business Systems PFI contract to the former Welsh Office was:
	1997–98 (full year)
	£7,829,546
	1998–1999 (full year)
	£12,903,892.
	No contracts have been let by the Secretary of State for Wales since July 1999. Before that date 14 contracts were let in the calendar year 1998 of which:
	(i) 14 were companies registered in England or Wales.
	(ii) 0 were companies registered in Scotland.
	(iii) 0 were companies registered in Northern Ireland.
	(iv) 0 were companies registered in Foreign Countries.
	The companies at (i) above were:
	Anite
	Cable and Wireless
	Cardiff University
	Cathedral Consortium
	Hedra
	SEMA ( two contracts)
	ICL
	Level-7 Ltd. (since renamed to ECsoft)
	Lorien
	Parity
	W. S. Atkins (three contracts).
	There is no central record of contracts entered into by the former Welsh Office prior to 1998.
	Notes:
	All the information above relates solely to IT systems and support. Telephone costs are not included.

Departmental Publications

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the publications issued by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the (a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was.

Paul Murphy: This information is not available in the form requested.

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-Departmental premises in each of the last four years giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each.

Paul Murphy: This information is not held in the form requested.

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the expenditure of his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies on newspaper advertising by title in each year since 1997.

Paul Murphy: The Wales Office does not exercise any functions which ordinarily require it to place advertisements. Information for the former Welsh Office is not readily available.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the President of the Council what steps he is taking to encourage participation by his Department in Fair Trade Fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Robin Cook: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development on 5 February 2000, Official Report, column 917W.
	My Department is not responsible for major purchases of goods and services.
	None the less, we will endeavour to use Fair Trade products for official entertaining directly provided by my Department, subject to this being good value for money.
	Information about Fair Trade Fortnight will be drawn to the attention of all departmental staff.

Departmental Retirement Ages

Steve Webb: To ask the President of the Council if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Robin Cook: The Cabinet Office is responsible for setting the retirement age for all members of the Senior Civil Service. This is age 60. Three members of my Department fall into this category. However, Heads of Departments and Agency Chief Executives have flexibility to retain members of the Senior Civil Service beyond age 60 if they judge it in the public interest and they are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of the individual to carry out his or her duties.
	For staff in my Department below the Senior Civil Service, the normal retirement age is 60. Nineteen members of my Department fall into this category. Subject to departmental needs and the continued health and efficiency of the individual concerned, staff may be allowed to continue working to a maximum age of 65.

IT Contracts

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the President of the Council what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Robin Cook: My Department placed no IT contracts during the period mentioned. IT services are provided via the Cabinet Office's IT contract. (The contractor is COMPAQ Computers Ltd., Worton Grange, Imperial Way, Reading, Berkshire, RG2 0TD.) My Department is re-charged on a per capita basis for each member of staff, plus a charge for any extra software or special services. The available information (dating from when my Department joined the Cabinet Office network) is:
	
		
			 Period £ 
		
		
			 1 July 1998 to 31 March 1999 24,391 
			 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000(6) 16,557 
			 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001(6) 172,570 
		
	
	(6) The charge for 2000–01 includes £68,000 for a database used by the Business Co-ordination Unit (who have since been transferred to the Cabinet Office).

HOME DEPARTMENT

James Ashley

Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received a report from the Sussex Police Authority concerning the fatal shooting of James Ashley in 1998.

John Denham: I required the Sussex Police Authority to report under section 43 of the Police Act 1996 on the events surrounding the shooting and the action taken by Sussex police to ensure that they have responded appropriately. I have now received that report. I am placing a copy in the Library. The report gives an account of the circumstances leading up to the shooting, the subsequent investigations, and the action which has been taken in Sussex to improve policing and to restore public confidence. Three officers are currently facing disciplinary proceedings in connection with the shooting. The Police Authority have informed me that they have not included any material which in their view could be prejudicial to the proceedings.

Police Officers

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers below pensionable age left the police force in England and Wales in 2001, broken down by police authority area.

John Denham: holding answer 29 January 2002
	There is no single set retirement age from the police service. All officers may retire upon completion of 30 years service or upon completion of 25 years service after the age of 50. Officers may continue to serve up to the age of 55, or until 60 for ranks above sergeant. Chief officers, or the Police Authority in the case of the chief officer, have discretion to extend the compulsory retirement age for any officer by up to five years.
	Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary collect information annually about the number of officers who have left the police service. The table shows the most recent figures, which are for 2000–01.
	
		
			 Force Ordinary retirements Other wastage(7) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 67 67 
			 Bedfordshire 13 38 
			 Cambridgeshire 32 34 
			 Cheshire 40 41 
			 City of London 18 20 
			 Cleveland 33 18 
			 Cumbria 29 34 
			 Derbyshire 27 25 
			 Devon and Cornwall 94 37 
			 Dorset 42 25 
			 Durham 27 23 
			 Dyfed-Powys 25 22 
			 Essex 65 78 
			 Gloucestershire 28 22 
			 Greater Manchester 128 175 
			 Gwent 27 26 
			 Hampshire 95 91 
			 Hertfordshire 40 72 
			 Humberside 68 51 
			 Kent 74 82 
			 Lancashire 75 56 
			 Leicestershire 29 48 
			 Lincolnshire 41 13 
			 Merseyside 79 80 
			 Metropolitan Police 451 703 
			 Norfolk 39 22 
			 Northamptonshire 25 22 
			 Northumbria 62 67 
			 North Wales 32 43 
			 North Yorkshire 27 41 
			 Nottinghamshire 59 28 
			 South Wales 45 105 
			 South Yorkshire 74 60 
			 Staffordshire 42 25 
			 Suffolk 38 27 
			 Surrey 34 59 
			 Sussex 89 64 
			 Thames Valley 71 120 
			 Warwickshire 25 21 
			 West Mercia 50 47 
			 West Midlands 142 141 
			 West Yorkshire 116 90 
			 Wiltshire 28 24 
			 England and Wales 2,645 2,885 
		
	
	(7) medical retirements, resignations, dismissals and deaths

Police Officers

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there are per head of population in (a) the West Mercia Constabulary and (b) on average in England and Wales.

John Denham: This information is published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin in the form of police officers per 100,000 population. In West Mercia there were 173.9 police officers per 100,000 of population as at 30 September 2001 and 240.3 per 100,000 of population in England and Wales.

Police Officers

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time police officers (a) are employed by East Sussex Constabulary and (b) were employed in 1997.

John Denham: On 30 September Sussex police had 2,837 police officers. On 31 March 1997 the force had 3,085 officers. I understand that the former Chief Constable allowed police numbers to fall because he civilianised a substantial number of operational support jobs that could more effectively be undertaken by civilian support staff. The reduction was not in front-line officers.
	Between March 1997 and September 2001 civilian support staff numbers increased by 357 to 1,506 full- time equivalents.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by his Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994.

David Blunkett: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The number of parliamentary questions not answered by my Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994 are as follows:
	
		
			 Year PQs not answered 
		
		
			 1994–96 Nil 
			 1997 4 
			 1998 6 
			 1999 6 
			 2000 9 
			 2001 9 
			  
			 Total 34

Victims of Crime

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what (a) guidance and (b) targets he has given to police authorities on the time within which police officers should visit victims of (i) burglary, (ii) robbery, (iii) sex crimes and (iv) other crimes of violence.

John Denham: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Under the 1996 Victim's Charter the police have responsibility for ensuring that victims are put in contact with the voluntary organisation Victim Support. Once a crime has been reported, the Victim's Charter outlines the standards of service that victims can expect to receive from the criminal justice agencies. The police are responsible for keeping victims informed of subsequent developments in the case, and the outcome of any court proceedings. Guidance about this was issued in Home Office Circular 55/1998.
	The police are also required to conduct user satisfaction surveys on a range of service responses, including the quality of response to a report of a burglary or of a violent crime.

Crime Statistics

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of crime, broken down by main categories for reporting, is known to have been committed by persons of (a) European, (b) African, (c) South Asian and (d) other ethnic origin in the last five years.

John Denham: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Information available centrally relates to the number of persons arrested by the police for notifiable offences. This information is published annually by the Home Office in 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System'. Information for 2000–01 will be published shortly.

Crime Statistics

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those convicted of criminal offences, broken down by 10-year age bands, are of (a) European, (b) African, (c) south Asian and (d) other ethnic origins; and what proportion each group represents of each age band in the last five years.

John Denham: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Currently information is only collected centrally by the Home Office on persons convicted at magistrates courts in six police force areas. This information is published annually by the Home Office in "Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System".

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Antisocial Behaviour Orders have been (a) sought and (b) granted in (i) each police authority area and (ii) each social services authority area where not coterminous with a police authority area.

John Denham: holding answer 8 February 2002
	Antisocial Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) are community- based civil orders, which can be applied for by the police or local authority, in consultation with each other against an individual or several individuals whose behaviour is antisocial. Applications are to the magistrates court acting in its civil capacity.
	From 1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000 data on the number of ASBOs issued were collected by police force area. No information on applications refused is available for this period.
	From 1 June 2000 official statistics on the number of ASBOs issued are based on quarterly returns from magistrates courts committees (MCCs) which from 1 April 2001 were all aligned with police force areas. These returns are not presently designed to give figures below MCC level. A review of these statistics identified an undercount and the Home Department therefore undertook an exercise with the police to obtain more reliable figures. As a result of this reconciliation exercise the total number of ASBOs issued within England and Wales up to the end of September 2001 was 466, 184 more than previously reported. The information available by police force area/magistrates courts committees is given in the table.
	
		Number of antisocial behaviour orders issued or refused(8) as from 1 April 1999 to 30 September 2001 by police force area/MCC
		
			 Police force area/MCC Issued Refused(8) 
		
		
			 Avon and Somerset 28 — 
			 Bedfordshire 2 — 
			 Cambridgeshire 8 — 
			 Cheshire — — 
			 Cleveland 10 1 
			 Cumbria 2 — 
			 Derbyshire 12 — 
			 Devon and Cornwall 10 — 
			 Dorset 4 — 
			 Durham 10 — 
			 Essex — — 
			 Gloucestershire 4 — 
			 Greater Manchester 24 — 
			 Hampshire 4 1 
			 Hertfordshire 9 — 
			 Humberside 11 — 
			 Kent 15 — 
			 Lancashire 16 — 
			 Leicestershire 5 — 
			 Lincolnshire 1 — 
			 Merseyside 17 — 
			 Metropolitan police(9)/GLMCA 40 5 
			 Norfolk 17 1 
			 Northamptonshire 3 — 
			 Northumbria 15 — 
			 North Yorkshire 10 — 
			 Nottinghamshire 16 — 
			 South Yorkshire 6 — 
			 Staffordshire 10 — 
			 Suffolk 5 1 
			 Surrey 4 — 
			 Sussex 7 1 
			 Thames Valley 7 — 
			 Warwickshire 3 — 
			 West Mercia 47 — 
			 West Midlands 65 — 
			 West Yorkshire 15 — 
			 Wiltshire — 4 
			 Dyfed Powys — — 
			 Gwent 1 — 
			 North Wales 1 — 
			 South Wales 2 — 
			 England and Wales 466 14 
		
	
	(8) Data collected on refused applications as from 1 June 2000 only
	(9) Including City of London

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will extend the power to apply for antisocial behaviour orders to (a) parish and town councils, (b) governing bodies of schools and (c) other persons affected by antisocial behaviour.

John Denham: holding answer 8 February 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary recently announced important proposals to increase the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders, (ASBOs) which include extending the power to apply for ASBOs to the British Transport police and registered social landlords. We would very much encourage parish and town councils governing bodies of schools, and indeed all other bodies representing the community to work for the reduction of antisocial behaviour, but we believe that where an application for an ASBO may be appropriate they should continue to work through the police and/or the local authority.

Metropolitan Police

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 18 December 2001, Official Report, column 232W and 28 June 2001, Official Report, column 120W, on police numbers, what proportion of the change in the number of police officers in the Metropolitan police area is attributable to the transfer of responsibility of policing some areas to the surrounding forces of Surrey, Hertfordshire and Essex in April 2000.

John Denham: The effects of the Metropolitan police boundary changes on 1 April 2000 were incorporated into the police funding formula and the overall transfer between the forces was in terms of financial resources, not of officers. Where data on police numbers are used in the formula, a notional transfer of 887 from the Metropolitan police to the three county forces was applied. Because it is for police authorities and Chief Constables to decide how resources are utilised, it is not appropriate to convert the notional transfer directly into a full-time equivalent strength for the Metropolitan police as a consequence of the changes.
	Between 31 March 2000 and 31 March 2001 the strength of the Metropolitan police fell by 607, to 24,878. This will have been due to a combination of boundary change resources and the temporary secondments to Essex, Hertfordshire and Surrey. By 30 September 2001, the numbers of officers in the Metropolitan police had increased to 25,374—496 more than on 31 March 2000.

Metropolitan Police

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officers in the Metropolitan Police Service have left the service in each of the last four years as a result of (a) reaching retirement age, (b) being retired sick, (c) being transferred to another force and (d) resignation.

John Denham: The information set out in the table has been provided by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis.
	
		
			 Year Normal retirement Medical retirement Transfer to another force Resignation Total 
		
		
			 1997–98 594 405 265 247 1,511 
			 1998–99 592 494 229 332 1,647 
			 1999–2000 554 285 243 361 1,443 
			 2000–01 465 220 382 359 1,426

Firearms

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many crimes were (a) reported and (b) cleared up involving (i) licensed handguns, (ii) unlicensed handguns, (iii) licensed shotguns, (iv) unlicensed shotguns and (v) other firearms in each year since 1997.

John Denham: The overall numbers of offences committed using handguns, shotguns and other firearms, over the period in question are as follows.
	
		Numbers of firearms offences—England and Wales
		
			  Handguns Shotguns (10)Other firearms 
		
		
			 1997–98 2,636 565 1,702 
			 1998–99(11) 2,687 642 1,880 
			 1999–2000 3,685 693 2,465 
			 2000–01 4,019 607 2,736 
		
	
	(10) 'Other firearms' includes imitation and unidentified firearms, and rifles.
	(11) There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which expanded the offences covered, and placed a greater emphasis on counting crimes in terms of numbers of victims. Numbers of recorded crimes after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years.

Market Research

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what expenditure has been incurred by his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years on (i) opinion polling, (ii) focus groups and (iii) other forms of market research; and if he will list the surveys commissioned and the purpose of each.

David Blunkett: The Department conducts or commissions market or opinion research only when it is justified by the specific needs of a particular policy or programme, and when this is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.
	Detailed breakdowns of costs are not held centrally and would be possible only at disproportionate cost.
	Market research undertaken by the Department, its agencies and non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) from 30 May 2000 to date, is as follows:
	British Crime Survey—used to monitor the level of crime independent of levels of reporting and recording of crime; 2001 Home Office Citizenship Survey—measures performance in delivering the Home Office's Aim 7 objectives; British Market Research Bureau—conducted a survey of all core Home Office staff and provided the Department with a report; A survey research project examined the impact of different formats of information on knowledge about, and attitudes towards crime and the criminal justice system; A postal survey of criminal justice system practitioners beliefs and opinions about sentencing philosophies and framework; A survey was commissioned for United Kingdom Passport Agency (UKPA) to determine the likely demand for their services in the coming year as part of a redevelopment of the passport demand forecasting system; Research into the attitudes of people from ethnic minority communities towards a career in the police service; An exploration of people's reactions to, and experiences of stop and search during the pilot of Macpherson recommendation 61; and the investigation more generally of views on the use of stop and search by the police; Prison Service staff attitude survey; The Youth Justice Board published a Youth Survey—undertaken with school children and young people excluded from mainstream schooling; Youth Justice Board research involving undertaking one to one interviews with non-offenders, offenders and persistent young offenders; Employee satisfaction survey for the Forensic Science Service; Police customer satisfaction surveys; Milton Keynes reassurance Project—survey of estates undertaken as part of an evaluation of interventions to reduce fear of crime; Qualitative research study into the social context of drinking among 18 to 24-year-olds; Attitudes towards and experiences of drink driving; Feasibility surveys on a strategic research objective of the Research, Development and Statistics Directorate; Qualitative and quantitative research with first stage respondents to police recruitment campaign to aid the recruitment process; Qualitative research with serving police officers to inform recruitment campaign development and police reform communications; Quantitative crime reduction campaign tracking—police recruitment and vehicle crime reduction; Quantitative research into attitudes of motorists towards car security products; Creative development research for used car security package pilot campaign; Creative development research for drugs; Pre/post campaign tracking research into drugs campaign; Strategic research with parents and young people about issues surrounding child protection on the internet (specifically chat room use); Creative development research for child protection on the internet campaign; Pre/post tracking research for child protection on the internet campaign; Desk research on existing parenting information provision; Research with parents and parenting professionals into their communications needs on parenting issues.

Community/Police Partnership

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what mechanisms exist for (a) monitoring performance and effectiveness and (b) disseminating best practice in community/police partnerships; and if he will make a statement.

John Denham: The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires that crime and disorder reduction strategies are kept under review to monitor their effectiveness. Proposals currently in the Police Reform Bill will require responsible authorities to publish such reviews on an annual basis. A performance template is currently under development to assist partnerships in assessing and monitoring progress. Crime reduction directors located in the Government offices in the regions and the National Assembly for Wales monitor the performance of the partnerships and the effectiveness of projects in their area under the crime reduction programme. In addition, annual recorded crime figures are published twice yearly at crime and disorder reduction partnerships' level. The crime reduction toolkits provide comprehensive web-based guidance dealing with the key areas of crime and criminality for partnerships and provide a problem- solving approach with details on research, evaluation and examples of good practice. The toolkits are available on http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/toolkits.

Child Prostitution

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidelines to police forces to treat cases of child and youth prostitution as child abuse; and if he will make a statement.

Keith Bradley: This Government accept that children involved in prostitution need to be recognised primarily as victims of abuse and has issued guidance that emphasises this.
	In May 2000, the Home Office, together with the Department of Health, issued guidance entitled "Safeguarding Children Involved in Prostitution". This guidance flowed from the original Association for Chief Police Officers (ACPO) guidelines on child prostitution, published in 1998. The guidance was drawn up in consultation with the Associations of Directors of Social Services and Chief Probation Officers, other Government Departments and other relevant agencies. It reflected both best practice and a multi- agency approach.
	A key message of the guidance was that wherever possible criminal justice action should be pursued against those who abuse children through prostitution or seek to exploit them as prostitutes. It also gave guidance about how to support children and young people and help them to leave prostitution.

Child Sex Tourists

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent co-ordination of efforts has been made between countries to reduce the incidence of child sex abuse by tourists; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The Government abhor the sexual abuse of children, whether in a commercial or domestic context, whether committed by British citizens in the United Kingdom or abroad or by visitors to the United Kingdom and other countries. Officials attended on my behalf the second World Congress on the Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children held in Yokohama, Japan, in late December 2001. Reducing the incidence of sexual abuse of children is central to the aims of the congress.
	Domestically, part two of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 provides the jurisdiction for the prosecution here of British residents or citizens who commit sex offences against children abroad. We have also implemented legislation introduced by the Criminal Justice and Court Services Act 2000 requiring sex offenders subject to the requirements of the Sex Offenders Act 1997 (the register) to notify the police if they intend to travel abroad for a period of eight days or longer. In relevant cases, the police will share this information with the authorities in other countries.
	The United Kingdom is one of the strongest supporters of the International Labour Organisation's (ILO) Convention 182, on the elimination of the worst forms of child labour, such as prostitution. In ratifying this instrument, the United Kingdom committed itself to assisting other members of the ILO through "enhanced international co-operation and/or assistance including support for social and economic development, poverty eradication programmes and universal education". This commitment is being taken forward through the work of the Department for International Development. We have also ratified the key international instruments such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights, and the United Nations (UN) Slavery Convention. We are promoting their widest possible ratification and supporting their practical implementation to achieve real change.
	We are supporting the Centre for Europe's Children to maintain the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) Child Welfare Initiative Resource Centre. The centre maintains a web site which aims to share best practice and stimulate international discussion and cooperation in the field of child protection.
	The Government, through the Department for International Development, has also given £3 million for the International Labour Organisation's International Programme on the Elimination of Child Labour (IPEC) programme in the Greater Mekong region (parts of Cambodia, China, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam). This involves a number of inter-linked interventions to raise awareness and prevent the trafficking of women and children, including those trafficked for sexual exploitation, and to withdraw women and children from labour exploitation and reintegrate them back into their own or new communities. And we are supporting non- governmental organisations (NGOs) working with tour operators to develop a code of practice for the travel industry to eliminate child sex tourism.
	More details of the United Kingdom's extensive portfolio of action to tackle the sexual abuse of children can be found in our "National Plan for Safeguarding Children from Commercial Sexual Exploitation", which was published in September 2001.

Crime (South Tyneside)

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of CCTV on crime in south Tyneside.

John Denham: There are currently five Home Office funded closed circuit television (CCTV) systems either in operation or in the process of being installed in the south Tyneside area. These cover, South Shields Foreshore, south Tyneside hospital, Tyne Dock Housing Estate, south Tyneside Control Room and the south Tyneside Mobile scheme.
	No evaluation results for these particular schemes are yet available, but Home Office research and other evaluations show CCTV can be effective in reducing crime and helping the police detect crime and convict offenders. CCTV is most effective when used as part of a wider local crime reduction strategy.

Asylum Seekers

Iain Coleman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the timescale is for the replacement of SALS for asylum applicants with identity cards; and if he will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: Applicants Registration Cards (ARC) were first issued to new asylum seekers on 31 January 2002. The ARC will replace the standard acknowledgement letter (SAL) and will be initially issued to new asylum applicants as they apply for asylum. The issuing of ARCs is to be undertaken in a range of locations throughout the country from March 2002, ensuring that all new asylum applicants receive an ARC as the technology is established.
	The asylum audit, planned in the new financial year, will undertake the replacement of the SAL with a new ARC. It will be completed as soon as possible. ARC issue is just one of a number of tasks to be undertaken within the audit, for those applicants already in the asylum system.

Dangerous Driving

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many car drivers were (a) banned and (b) received points on their licence, in the last 12 months for dangerous driving, broken down by region.

John Denham: The available information relates to the number of offences of dangerous driving for which disqualification, and endorsements without disqualification, were imposed in England and Wales in 2000.
	Statistics for 2001 will be available in the autumn.

Departmental Retirement Age

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Angela Eagle: The normal retirement age for non-industrial staff is 60, and for industrial staff 65. However, the Home Office's age retirement policy has recently been reviewed and from 1 April 2002 non- industrial staff up to Grade six will have the option to remain beyond the age of 60 and to retire at any point between the ages of 60 and 65. A temporary relaxation to the normal retirement age of 60 is currently in force until 31 March 2002 for grades between Administrative Assistant and Executive Officer (including equivalent grades, except certain Prison Service specific grades). Staff at Higher Executive Officer and above can also apply for extensions of service subject to business needs.
	A variation to this policy is applied in the Prison Service where pre "fresh-start" Prison Officers employed before 1987 retire at 55, and Operational Support Grades retire at 65. A formal review of age retirement policy is now taking place within the Prison Service.
	The number of staff affected in each of these categories is set out in the table.
	
		
			 Category  Retirement age Number of staff 
		
		
			 Non-industrial 60 32,002 
			 Industrial 65 2,997 
			 Operational Support Grades 65 6,475 
			 Prison Officers 60 16,461 
			 Prison Officers(12) 55 6,721 
		
	
	(12) Pre "Fresh Start"

Muslim Prisoners

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received about the treatment of Muslim prisoners from Dr. Siddiqui; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Dr. Siddiqui wrote to the Prime Minister on 21 January 2002 raising concern about the treatment of those detained at Belmarsh prison and I have replied on the Prime Minister's behalf.
	On 25 January, the detainees at Belmarsh were visited by the National Council for the Welfare of Muslim Prisoners. In a subsequent press release, the Council expressed general satisfaction with the overall provisions available to Muslim prisoners.

Brixton Police

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 355–56W, on Brixton police, for what periods during 2001 Brixton police were unable to accept reports of minor crime over the telephone.

John Denham: I understand that Brixton police were unable to accept telephone reports of minor crime for various short periods in 2001. Other methods of reporting crime were not affected. The periods in question would have been no more than a couple of days at a time.

Brixton Police

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 355–56W, on Brixton police, what operational reasons rendered Brixton police unable to accept reports of minor crime over the telephone between 2 and 8 January.

John Denham: I understand from the Commissioner that staff absences accounted for the inability of police in Brixton to accept reports of minor crime over the telephone for the period concerned. A decision was made to use the available staff to ensure continuity of service in the Crime Management Unit. Leaving the Crime Management Unit inadequately staffed would have had a greater adverse effect on the investigation of crime. Throughout this period members of the public were able to report minor crime in writing or in person at police stations.

Terrorism Costs (Avon and Somerset Police Authority)

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what plans he has to make additional funds available to Avon and Somerset Police Authority to recognise extra security duties and costs post 11 September 2001;
	(2)  what additional funds have been made available to Avon and Somerset Police Authority to mitigate the impact on normal policing of increased security responsibilities post 11 September 2001.

John Denham: We are currently considering how additional funding for costs incurred since September 11 should be distributed between police authorities. A decision will be made soon.

Police Support Staff

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase and enhance the role of support staff in the police.

John Denham: Proposals for new and enhanced functions to be carried out by civilian support staff were set out in "Policing a new century" (CM5326). The Police Reform Bill sets out the limited police powers that may be needed by support staff to enable them to carry out these functions.

Asylum Accommodation Centres

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the eight sites under consideration for the proposed asylum accommodation centres; and in which parliamentary constituencies they are located.

Angela Eagle: They are as follows:
	Qinetiq (formerly Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA)) Pershore, Worcestershire (Mid Worcestershire).
	Royal Air Force (RAF) Hemswell, West Lindsey, Lincolnshire (Gainsborough).
	Sully Hospital, Barry, South Glamorgan (Vale of Glamorgan).
	Hooton Park, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire (Ellesmere Port and Neston).
	Land vacated by Ministry of Defence (MOD) Logistics, Bicester, Oxfordshire (Banbury).
	Air West Edinburgh (formerly RAF Turnhouse), Edinburgh (Edinburgh West).
	RAF Newton, West Bridgeford, Nottinghamshire (Rushcliffe).
	National Energy Site Killinghome, near Grimsby, North Lincolnshire (Cleethorpes).
	We also expect to identify any further sites which are available through the procurement competition which we will be launching shortly.

Private Medical Insurance

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what statistics he has collated from English police authorities on their expenditure on purchasing private medical insurance for staff in each financial year since 1998–99.

John Denham: holding answer 6 February 2002
	Surrey is the only police authority which currently makes private medical insurance available to all its staff. The cost of the scheme, which began in November 2001, is about £550,000 a year.

Speed Cameras (Greater London)

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists have been convicted of speeding offences as a result of evidence from speed cameras within the Greater London area in each of the last three years.

John Denham: Information held centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database for the Metropolitan police and City of London is not sufficiently robust to identify proceedings for speeding offences where the offence has been detected by camera.
	However, data supplied directly from the police showing the number of prosecutions and fixed penalties notices issued for speeding offences as a result of the use of cameras is given in the table.
	
		Prosecutions and fixed penalties for speeding offences detected by camera within the Metropolitan police area(13), 1998–2000
		
			 Disposal/police force area 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 Prosecutions 2,983 6,982 5,522 
			 Fixed Penalties 14,155 13,048 44,092 
		
	
	(13) Includes City of London

Prison Inmates

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of hours is per week that a prison inmate at a prison in England or Wales (a) spends out of their cell and (b) works in a prison workshop over the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Beverley Hughes: The average time out of cell for all prisoners in England and Wales for the current financial year to the end of December is 9.9 hours on a weekday and 8.7 hours at weekends. On average, prisoners spent 4.0 hours per week working in prison workshops over the same period. Data for December included in these figures are provisional and subject to validation.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Golden Jubilee

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions (a) she, (b) other Ministers in her Department and (c) officials in her Department have had with Ministers and officials in other Government Departments to ensure that the costs of (i) public liability insurance and (ii) applying for road closures do not prevent members of the public from celebrating the Golden Jubilee.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 28 January 2002
	Discussions are held with colleagues in other relevant Government Departments on a wide range of issues relating to the Golden Jubilee celebrations.
	Public liability insurance is available at reasonable cost in the commercial markets. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State at the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions is responsible for road traffic regulations policy. The impact of this policy on the Golden Jubilee celebrations is being assessed. We expect to make a statement shortly.

Golden Jubilee

Tim Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what events (a) she is and (b) other Ministers in her Department are planning to attend as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations; and what events her Department is planning to arrange to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 4 February 2002
	Invitations to the majority of events taking place as part of the queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations, including the national events in central London over the Jubilee weekend of 1–4 June 2002, have not yet been issued. It is also too soon for invitations to have been sent out for the Commonwealth Games. However, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, Ministers from other Departments and I expect to attend events including the National Service of thanksgiving at St. Paul's Cathedral on 4 June and the Commonwealth Games in Manchester from 25 July to 4 August.
	It is my Department's role, working with all the interested parties including other Government Departments, to support the planning for Golden Jubilee celebrations in a way that embraces the six themes for the Jubilee: celebration; giving thanks; service; involving the whole community; looking forward as well as back; and the commonwealth while adhering to Her Majesty's wish that there should be no undue expenditure from public funds. It is not the role of government to arrange events. It is for local communities to decide how they wish to celebrate the Golden Jubilee.
	We will publish a comprehensive list of events that Ministers will be attending nearer the time.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Rural Policy

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the co-ordination of rural policy.

John Prescott: None. However the Rural Regeneration Committee, DA(RR), chaired by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, reports, as necessary, to the Domestic Affairs Committee which I chair.

Financial Propriety

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what guidelines exist regarding the propriety of personal employees of a Minister receiving payments from an organisation with which a Department is involved in negotiations; and if he will make a statement.

Christopher Leslie: The Ministerial Code requires Ministers to ensure that no conflict arises, or appears to arise, between their public duties and their private interests, financial or otherwise. The remuneration and terms of employment of personal employees of Ministers working on non- Government business is not a matter for Government.

Departmental Retirement Ages

Steve Webb: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement.

Christopher Leslie: The Cabinet Office has a flexible retirement policy for its staff.
	Grades below the senior civil service
	Age 60 is the normal age of retirement for all grades below the senior civil service. It is also the earliest age at which full superannuation benefits may apply.
	Retention beyond age 60 is possible up to age 70 subject to departmental needs and continuing health and efficiency. Retention beyond age 70 is allowed only in exceptional circumstances.
	Early retirement with actuarially reduced benefits is available to staff aged 50 or over.
	The Cabinet Office agencies closely follow the Cabinet Office model, with analogous discretions allowing for extensions of service.
	The senior civil service
	The Cabinet Office is responsible for setting the retirement age for all members of the senior civil service. This is age 60. Heads of Departments and agency chief executives have flexibility to retain beyond this age if they judge it in the public interests and are satisfied about the fitness and efficiency of individuals to carry out their duties.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Arthur Andersen

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which she has received hospitality in her ministerial capacity from (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture in the last two years.

Patricia Hewitt: I attended a business dinner hosted by Arthur Andersen on 22 January 2002. As e-Commerce Minister I chaired a seminar on e-Commerce co-hosted by the DTI and Andersen Consulting at Lancaster House on 15 November 2000.

Arthur Andersen

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the projects on which (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture are engaged for her Department.

Patricia Hewitt: Current contracts with Arthur Andersen are as follows:
	Framework arrangement for Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund projects. The contract runs from November 2000 to October 2002
	Study of UK competitive position. The contract runs from July 2000 to March 2002
	Research and updating of information sheets. The contract runs from January 2000 to December 2002.
	There are no current contracts with Andersen Consulting or Accenture.

Arthur Andersen

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what pre-publication reports by Arthur Andersen she received between May 1997 and December 2001.

Patricia Hewitt: The information is not held centrally by the Department and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Arthur Andersen

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates since 7 June 2001 (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in her Department have met employees of (i) Andersen and (ii) Accenture on official business; and if she will make a statement.

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions on which she and her ministerial colleagues have met representatives of (a) Arthur Andersen, (b) Andersen Consulting and (c) Accenture since June 2001; and what subjects were discussed.

Patricia Hewitt: Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department regularly meet a wide range of representatives from business. However as the Prime Minister's reply on 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 102W, makes clear, it is not normal practice to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.

Arthur Andersen

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contracts her Department has had since 1997 with (a) Arthur Andersen and (b) Accenture for (i) accountancy, (ii) audit and (iii) consultancy work; and what staff have been seconded (A) to her Department from and (B) from her Department to these firms.

Patricia Hewitt: The information on contracts is set out as follows. The first contract was with Andersen Consulting (later Accenture); the remainder with Arthur Andersen.
	Research for the Foresight Financial Services Panel. The contract ran from September 1999 to March 2001—Consultancy.
	Joint reporting accountants on a study of a possible introduction of public-private partnership into British Nuclear Fuels Ltd. The contract ran from October to December Accountancy 2001—Accountancy.
	Statistical study of the British Biotechnology industry. The contract ran from April 2001 to January 2002—Consultancy.
	Framework arrangement for Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund projects. The contract runs from November 2000 to October 2002—Consultancy.
	Review of CMI, Cambridge. The contract ran from June to December 2001—Consultancy.
	High technology industry survey of foreign investors. The contract ran from September 2000 to March 2001—Consultancy.
	Study of UK competitive position. The contract runs from July 2000 to March 2002—Consultancy.
	Research and updating of information sheets. The contract runs from January 2000 to December 2002—Consultancy.
	These contracts were awarded following best departmental practice which involved obtaining competitive tenders and, where applicable, following EU procurement.
	On secondments, centrally held departmental records show that since 1997 there have been two secondees from Arthur Andersen, one from 1 July 1997 to 31 December 1998 and one from 15 April 1998 to 28 April 2000. There have been only one DTI secondee to Andersen Consulting from 2 January 1997 to 7 November 1997.

Enron

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list all Government (a) contracts and (b) consent awarded by the department to (i) Enron Corporation, (ii) Enron Europe and (iii) Arthur Andersen between May 1997 and December 2001.

Brian Wilson: Contracts awarded during this period with Arthur Andersen were as follows:
	Joint reporting accountants on a study of a possible introduction of Public-Private partnership into British Nuclear Fuels Limited. The contract ran from October 2000 to December 2001
	Statistical study of the British Biotechnology industry. The contract ran from April 2001 to January 2002 Framework arrangement for Work-Life Balance Challenge Fund projects. The contract runs from November 2000 to October 2002
	Review of CMI, Cambridge. The contract ran from June to December 2001
	High technology industry survey of foreign investors. The contract ran from September 2000 to March 2001.
	Study of UK competitive position. The contract runs from July 2000 to March 2002
	Research and updating of information sheets. The contract runs from January 2000 to December 2002.
	These contracts were awarded following best departmental practice which involved obtaining competitive tenders and, where applicable, following EU procurement rules.
	My department has no contracts with Enron Corporation or Enron Europe. Consents have been awarded under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for the following facilities in which Enron Europe was involved:
	Extension to Sutton Bridge power station, 1997
	Isle of Grain power station, 2000
	Black Start facility at Teesside power station, 1998.
	All these cases were scrutinised and determined in the usual way under the section 36 statutory process, taking account of the views of the local planning authority, statutory bodies, local people and any other person making representations to the Secretary of State.

Enron

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the occasions since 1997 when (a) Ministers in her Department and (b) special advisers in her Department have discussed UK energy policy with members of the American Embassy in London; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Such discussions are covered by Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and are thus confidential.

Accountants

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts and what fees in each financial year since 1997–98 (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, (c) KPMG, (d) PA Consulting, (e) WS Atkins, (f) Accenture, (g) Deloitte & Touche, (h) McKinsey, (i) Capita, (j) AEA Technology, (k) Xansa Group, (l) Sema Group, (m) CMG Admiral, (n) ICL Group and (o) Logica received for advising her Department on PFI and PPP contracts; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: My Department and its agencies have had, since 1997–98, two contracts with KPMG, one contract with PricewaterhouseCoopers, one contract with Xansa, one contract with Deloitte & Touche and two contracts with Capita for advising on PFI and PPP contracts. There were no contracts with the other companies listed. The fees in each financial year since 1997–98 were as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			   1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Capita 217,921 279,486 24,693 35,785 Nil 
			 KPMG 4,650 100,000 25,000 Nil Nil 
			 PwC 145,945 157,406 18,800 110,837 38,888 
			 Xansa 402,750 511,079 161,462 Nil Nil 
			 Deloitte & Touche Nil Nil Nil 828,239 921,761

Meetings

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what meetings have taken place between Ministers in her Department and employees of Citigate since 7 June 2001; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  if she will list the meetings that Ministers in her Department have had since 1 January 2000 with representatives of (a) Chevron, (b) Texaco, (c) Phillips Petroleum, (d) IMC Global, (e) TXU and (f) CMS; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  if she will list the dates of meetings that (a) special advisers and (b) Ministers in her Department have had since 1 January 1999 with representatives of Global Crossing; and if she will make a statement;
	(4)  if she will list the (a) dates and (b) subjects of meetings that (i) special advisers and (ii) Ministers in her Department have had since 1 January 1999 with representatives of General Electric; and if she will make a statement;
	(5)  if she will list the dates of meetings that (a) special advisers and (b) Ministers in her Department have had since 7 June 2001 with representatives of Seeboard; and if she will make a statement.

Patricia Hewitt: Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department regularly meet a wide range of representatives from business. However as the Prime Minister's reply of 19 November 2001, Official Report, column 102W, makes clear, it is not normal practice to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.

Energy Industry

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what occasions she and her Department have held meetings since May 1997 with representatives from (a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Exxon-Mobil, (d) Enron, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf; if she will state the purpose of each meeting; and if she will provide details of the outcomes and agreements reached as a result of each meeting.

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings (a) she and (b) her senior departmental officials have had with Enron and its subsidiaries in the last two years.

Patricia Hewitt: Ministers, special advisers and officials in my Department regularly meet a wide range of representatives from business. It is not normal practice to release details of meetings or discussions with private individuals or companies.
	As the Prime Minister's reply of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 698W, makes clear, however, details of meetings between DTI Ministers and representatives of Enron have been disclosed, without setting a precedent, because unsubstantiated and unjustified allegations were made against the Government and the DTI is the lead Department on energy policy.
	These details (taken from official records of Ministers' engagements) are as follows:
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Tyneside, North (then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry) met senior Enron executives on 26 May 1999 and opened the Enron Europe HQ on 29 February 2000.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Hartlepool (Mr. Mandelson) (then Secretary of State for Trade and Industry) and my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) (then Energy Minister) met senior executives from a range of energy companies including Enron on 23 September 1998 to discuss the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation.
	My hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West met the chief executive of Enron on 28 April 1998.
	My right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Mrs. Liddell), (then Energy Minister) met the senior executives from Enron on 9 February 2000 and on 13 April 2000 (alongside other energy executives) to discuss Transportation of Coal; and visited the offices of Enron at 40 Grosvenor Place on 5 October 2000.
	In addition DTI Ministers may have attended receptions or other events at which Enron executives were also present.

Information Technology

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a).

Patricia Hewitt: The information requested by the hon. Gentleman that is readily available from central records is as follows.
	
		
			 Number registered in: Number  
			 Financial year Total value (excluding VAT) Number of contracts let England and Wales Scotland Northern Ireland of foreign companies 
		
		
			 1998–99 10,895,760 276 276 — — — 
			 1999–2000 21,768,872 53 52 — — 1 
			 2000–01 37,449,912 95 95 — — — 
			 2001–02 20,231,791 78 77 1 — — 
		
	
	Contracting parties in the 1998–99 financial year:
	Action, Ameritech, Ascot Systems, ASE Consulting, Belmar-Zenith, Cap Gemini, CMG Admiral, Complete Media, Computacenter, Data Display, Dataware, Dell, Dr. Solomons, EDS, International Computers Ltd., i2, Interskill DBI, KPMG, MFT Computer Systems, Net Tel, OLSY, Reflex Magnetics, SAS, Secure, Sequent, Sight and Sound, Silicon Graphics, Spectrum, Stellar, Ultima, Wang, XANSA, Zeh Graphics.
	Contracting parties in the 1999–2000 financial year:
	Cap Gemini, Computacenter, Getronics, HR Planning Software, International Computers Ltd., Insight Consulting; Macwarehouse, Oracle, Parity Resources, Parity Systems, QCC, SMC, Yale Consulting.
	Contracting parties in the 2000–01 financial year:
	AbilityNet, Action, ASE Consulting, Cap Gemini, Cathedral Consortium, Compuserve, Computacenter, Drake, E.cognition, Elan, Glensound, IBM, International Computers Ltd., I-CD Publishing, Infologistix, KPMG, Osmond, PVS, RNIB, SCC, Schlumberger Sema, Site Reports, The Accountant, Visionary Systems, Xansa, Yale Consulting.
	Contracting parties in the 2001–02 financial year:
	AbilityNet, Cap Gemini Ernst & Young, Cathedral Consortium, CMG Admiral, Computacenter, I-CD Publishing, Insight Consulting, International Computers Ltd., Line Management, KPMG, Method Applications, Oracle, Parity Reources, Posturite, Pulse Data, RNIB, Rock, SCC, Telesensory, The Speech Centre, Yale Consulting, Vogon International.
	Notes:
	1. Readily available electronic records are not available for years before 1998–99 and the information for 1997–98 could be extracted from manual records only at disproportionate cost.
	2. Only contracts valued at over £1,000 are included.
	3. Information has only been provided for IT contracts let by the DTI's central IT procurement unit. Information about locally let contracts is not available from central records and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	4. Information supplied is for the core Department and excludes IT contracts let by the DTI's agencies.
	5. IT systems and support has been widely interpreted to include the purchase of IT equipment and related services.

Coalminers (Compensation)

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was paid by the Government from January to December 2001 in Wrexham for respiratory disease, pursuant to the miners' compensation scheme for (a) damages to claimants and (b) legal costs for claimants' lawyers.

Brian Wilson: As at the end of January 2002 the Department has paid nearly £252 million in respiratory disease compensation. In the Wrexham constituency, as at the end of December, £744,000 had been paid. A breakdown for the period January to December 2001 is not available in the time requested, as constituency figures have been available only since the end of October 2001.
	With regard to legal costs, the Department has paid £45 million to solicitors in relation to processing claims for respiratory disease. A breakdown for Wrexham and for the period January to December 2001 is not available in the time requested.

Coalminers (Compensation)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to date to each firm of solicitors involved in the compensation claims for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers.

Brian Wilson: In total there are some 300-plus firms of solicitors currently processing claims under either/or both schemes. The Department is not able to provide a breakdown by every firm of solicitors in the time available. However, detailed in the table are breakdowns of the costs paid (excluding generic trial costs) to the top 10 claims handlers under both schemes.
	
		Chronic bronchitis and emphysema -- £ million
		
			 Claims handler in order based on total claims intimated Costs paid (excluding generic trial costs) 
		
		
			 Thompsons 9.8 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 6.9 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 2.8 
			 Raleys 4.2 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 0.5 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 3.1 
			 Graysons 2.1 
			 Watson Burton 1.4 
			 Irwin Mitchell 2.0 
			 Randell Saunders 0.4 
		
	
	
		Vibration white finger -- £ million
		
			 Claims handler in order based on total claims intimated Costs paid (excluding generic trial costs) 
		
		
			 Thompsons 5.7 
			 Browell Smith & Co. 4.0 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers 3.6 
			 Raleys 3.0 
			 Hugh James Ford Simey 3.0 
			 Graysons 2.0 
			 Moss 1.4 
			 Watson Burton 1.9 
			 AMS Law 1.0 
			 Towells 1.3

Coalminers (Compensation)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid out to former coalminers to date, in each region, as compensation for (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger; and if she will make a statement.

Brian Wilson: I refer my hon. Friend to the Department's Coal Health Claims website—www.dti.gov.uk/coalhealth—where a breakdown of headline statistics by region, and by constituency can be found.
	Since the beginning of November last year we have seen a significant increase in the numbers of full and final offers being made for respiratory disease claims. We have now paid out nearly £710 million in compensation across both schemes.

Coalminers (Compensation)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much to date has been paid to lawyers who are handling claims for former coalminers under the (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger compensation claims for unsuccessful cases.

Brian Wilson: The Department does not pay solicitors costs in relation to unsuccessful claims, apart from a small customer care fee for claims registered prior to the signing of the Claims Handling Agreement on 24 September 1999.

Coalminers (Compensation)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how long on average it took to process a claim for compensation on behalf of coalminers suffering from (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger, by region, in the last 12 months.

Brian Wilson: In the time available the Department is not able to provide a breakdown of average processing times by region over the last 12 months.
	However, in respect of respiratory disease, the average time nationally between medical assessment and date of offer in the last six months is five months and 14 days. With regard to vibration white finger, VWF, the average duration between medical assessment and date of offer in the last six months is six months and five days.

Coalminers (Compensation)

Kevin Barron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the average length of time taken to process a claim for compensation on behalf of coalminers suffering from (a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger, by each firm of solicitors, in the last 12 months.

Brian Wilson: A breakdown of time taken by solicitors to process claims is not available in the time requested.

Employment Tribunals

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the cost to small businesses of employment tribunals in the last calendar year.

Nigel Griffiths: We have not made such an assessment.

Post Offices

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of rural post offices.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Somerton and Frome (Mr. Heath) on 29 November 2001, Official Report, column 1039W.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many grants have been made under the rural post office scheme, broken down by county; and what the total sum paid out to date is.

Douglas Alexander: The Government have made available a £2 million fund to support volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or reopen post office facilities in rural areas where traditional services would otherwise close. To date, 139 application forms have been despatched and funding has been allocated to seven initiatives as follows:
	
		
			 Amount Area 
		
		
			 £13,200 to Capel-le-Ferne, Kent 
			 £1,669 to Goadby Marwood, Leicestershire 
			 £208 to Risbury, Herefordshire 
			 £10,200 to Kirk Ireton, Derbyshire 
			 £3,862 to Coleby, Lincolnshire 
			 £4,000 to Henlow, Bedfordshire 
			 £16,730 to Buriton, Hampshire 
		
	
	£ 24,928 has been paid out for schemes at Capel Le Ferne, Risbury and Buriton. Further payments will be made following verification of invoices by Post Office Ltd.

Post Offices

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications have been made for assistance under the rural post office scheme, broken down by county.

Douglas Alexander: 29 completed applications out of the 139 forms requested to date have been received by Post Office Ltd. for the £2 million fund made available by Government to support volunteer and community initiatives to maintain or reopen post office facilities in rural areas. They are as follows:
	Capel Le Ferne, Kent
	Holcombe, Devon
	Buriton, Sussex
	Risbury, Herefordshire
	Kirk Ireton, Derbyshire
	Struan, Highland
	Goadby Marwood, Leicestershire
	Coleby, Lincolnshire
	South Warnborough, Hampshire
	Deri, Caerphilly
	Tavernspite, Pembrokeshire
	Henstridge, Somerset
	Wanborough, Wiltshire
	Ringmer, Sussex
	Almondbank, Perth and Kinross
	Acton Trussell, Staffordshire
	Henlow, Bedfordshire
	Bernisdale, Higland
	Winteringham, Lincolnshire
	Milford, Staffordshire
	Lubenham, Leicestershire
	Dawlish Warren, Devon
	Tortington, Sussex.
	Laxay, Western Isles
	Folkingham, Lincolnshire.
	Bewcastle, Cumbria
	Ollaberry, Shetland Islands
	Standon, Staffordshire
	Bowden, Borders.
	Project from Norfolk have yet to reply.

Post Offices

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the annual pre tax profits of the Post Office were in each year from 1980 to date; and how much was made over to the Treasury in each year.

Douglas Alexander: I refer my hon. Friend to the published reports and accounts of the Post Office for the figures from 1998 onwards, and to the Trade and Industry Committee Third report on the Post Office (97–98 session) for the figures from 1982 to 1997.

Post Offices

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations she has received on the future of the Post Office network.

Douglas Alexander: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry receives representation from numerous sources. The Government are committed to the maintenance of a nationwide network of post offices.

Business Survival Rates

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) each English region and (f) each local authority in the United Kingdom, the percentage of businesses surviving three years for the latest period for which figures are available.

Nigel Griffiths: We estimate survival rates on the basis of businesses registering for VAT who are still registered three years after. These data are available at Business Link, Training and Enterprise Council and Local Enterprise Company level. Data at local authority level are not available. The latest data relate to 1996 registrants and are set out in the table.
	
		
			   Percentage 
		
		
			 Scotland 61.2 
			 England 62.4 
			 Wales 63.1 
			 Northern Ireland 70.1 
			 North-east 61.4 
			 County Durham 61.6 
			 Northumberland 65.7 
			 Tees Valley 60.8 
			 Tyne and Wear 60.3 
			 North-west 60.1 
			 Cheshire and Warrington 63.6 
			 Manchester 55.8 
			 Cumbria 65.8 
			 East Lancashire 60.4 
			 North Manchester 57.8 
			 Merseyside 63.0 
			 West and north Lancashire 59.5 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 60.8 
			 Humberside 61.9 
			 North Yorkshire 66.2 
			 South Yorkshire 59.7 
			 West Yorkshire 58.8 
			 East Midlands 61.2 
			 Derbyshire 62.8 
			 Leicestershire 61.2 
			 Lincolnshire 61.8 
			 Northamptonshire 61.7 
			 Nottinghamshire 58.9 
			 West Midlands 61.3 
			 Birmingham and Solihull 55.3 
			 Coventry and Warwickshire 65.7 
			 Herefordshire and Worcestershire 67.5 
			 Shropshire 64.4 
			 Staffordshire 61.2 
			 The Black Country 58.4 
			 Eastern 65.3 
			 Bedfordshire 63.3 
			 Cambridgeshire 65.4 
			 Essex 63.6 
			 Hertfordshire 67.5 
			 Norfolk 66.2 
			 Suffolk 65.9 
			 London 59.5 
			 South-east 66.2 
			 Berkshire 64.4 
			 Hampshire 67.1 
			 Kent and Medway 64.6 
			 Oxfordshire/Milton Keynes/Bucks 66.9 
			 Surrey 67.6 
			 Sussex 66.0 
			 South-west 65.0 
			 Dorset 63.7 
			 Devon and Cornwall 64.1 
			 Gloucestershire 65.0 
			 Somerset 68.1 
			 West 63.1 
			 Wiltshire and Swindon 68.9 
			 Celtec 62.7 
			 Mid Wales 68.3 
			 South-east Wales 62.9 
			 West Wales 61.2 
			 Argyll and Bute 65.5 
			 Ayrshire 62.7 
			 Borders Enterprise 67.8 
			 Caithness and Sutherland 66.4 
			 Dumbarton 61.3 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 71.3 
			 Fife 60.6 
			 Forth Valley 61.0 
			 Glasgow Development Agency 49.1 
			 Grampian 68.6 
			 Inverness and Nairn 61.9 
			 Lanarkshire 51.8 
			 Lochaber 77.7 
			 Lothian and Edinburgh 63.9 
			 Moray Badenoch and Strathspey 76.8 
			 Orkney 68.7 
			 Renfrewshire 57.0 
			 Ross and Cromarty 75.6 
			 Shetland 76.0 
			 Skye and Lochalsh 57.8 
			 Tayside 65.4 
			 Western Isles 75.6 
		
	
	Source:
	Small Business Service April 2001

Regional Assistance (North-west)

Peter Kilfoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry further to the answer to the hon. Member for Knowsley, North and Sefton, East, (Mr. Howarth) of 29 January 2002 , Official Report, column 160W, if she will list the recipients of regional assistance grants within the Liverpool, Walton constituency in each year from 1992 to 2001.

Alan Johnson: Recipients of regional assistance grants in Liverpool Walton are set out in the following table. This represents offers of regional selective assistance made by the Department of Trade and Industry. Offers that are not yet in the public domain have been excluded.
	
		
			 Financial year Company name 
		
		
			 1992–93 Panda Alarms Ltd. 
			 1992–93 Commercial Hydraulics Liverpool Ltd. 
			 1992–93 Food Integrants Ltd. 
			 1992–93 W. R. Wright and Sons Ltd. 
			 1993–94 Fortress Fabrications Ltd. 
			 1993–94 Yes Stores Ltd. 
			 1993–94 Fortress Fabrications Ltd. 
			 1994–95 Fortress Fabrications Ltd. 
			 1994–95 Stella Products Ltd. 
			 1996–97 Ascotcrown Ltd. 
			 1996–97 James Price Glazing Ltd. 
			 1997–98 Dunlop Hevea (Industrial Footwear) Ltd. 
			 1999–2000 Friskies Petcare (UK) Ltd.

Small Business Service

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Small Business Service has to publish and maintain a clear strategy backed by clear milestones and targets.

Nigel Griffiths: The Small Business Service's strategy for 2001–04 and business plan for 2001–02 are available in the Libraries of the House and on www.sbs.gov.uk.
	SBS's priorities and operational targets for the next year are currently being developed and will be published in their business plan for 2002–03. Operational targets for 2002–03 will be announced in the House.

Entertainment Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Patricia Hewitt: This information is not held centrally in the Department of Trade and Industry and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Responsibility for the provision of mobile telephones for official purposes and for payment of the associated call charges was devolved to individual directorates, agencies and NDPBs at the end of March 1993. Since August 1997, the DTI has increasingly made use of the central Mobile Telecommunications contract managed by the Office for Government Commerce. Vodafone are the latest suppliers of this contract, which provides a call-off arrangement for DTI users at advantageous prices ensuring that the Department obtains good value for money.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Patricia Hewitt: The Department entered into a contract for the provision of accounts with CSL Group Ltd., effective from 1 April 1995. The contract, which covered an initial period of five years, was extended for a further two years. The cost of services is in part dependent upon volume of transactions. The average cost is approximately £2 million per annum.
	The Department has also entered into a PFI agreement for the development of a new financial accounting system. Under the terms of the agreement, the costs of development (approx £10 million) are recoverable over the (10-year) life of the system.
	
		£ million 
		
			  Accounts services provision PFI agreement 
		
		
			 1997–98 2 0 
			 1998–99 2 0.5 
			 1999–2000 2 1.1 
			 2000–01 2 1.4

Advantage West Midlands

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are directly employed by Advantage West Midlands; and how many equivalent full-time posts this represents.

Alan Johnson: Advantage West Midlands employs 173 staff; this includes staff seconded to other organisations. This figure represents 170.7 full-time equivalent posts.

Skills Councils

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has made to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills to include the manufacturing sector in the trailblazers for the new sector skills councils.

Patricia Hewitt: The DTI was represented in the interdepartmental group that considered bids to become trailblazer sector skills councils. We are pleased that important manufacturing interests such as textiles, oil and gas production, refining and distribution and chemicals manufacture are represented amongst the trailblazers. We are committed to building the conditions in which a successful manufacturing sector can thrive. The network of business-led sector skills councils currently being put in place will provide the framework in which to develop a highly skilled workforce that will support improved productivity and innovation in manufacturing companies in the UK.

Consignia

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when a permanent chairman will be appointed to Consignia plc.

Douglas Alexander: Arrangements are in hand to recruit a permanent Chairman of Consignia. With the help of recruitment consultants, we are undertaking an open competition in accordance to the Commissioner for Public Appointments Code of Practice. We are looking to make an appointment as soon as possible. In the interim, the Board of Consignia have asked Allan Leighton to Chair the Board.

Sub-post Offices

Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria will apply to the allocation of the Your Guide scheme when the pilot project is extended to the sub-post office network.

Douglas Alexander: We are currently in the process of evaluating the pilot of Your Guide running in Leicestershire and Rutland. In parallel with the evaluation we are working with the e Envoy's Office, other Departments and Consignia to design the form and content of a potential national service should the pilot prove a success.

Regional Assistance Grant (East Sussex)

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much regional assistance grant to industry was awarded to each parliamentary constituency in East Sussex in each year since 1992; and if she will make a statement.

Alan Johnson: holding answer 7 February 2002
	The regional selective assistance grants for each parliamentary constituency in East Sussex in each year since 1992 is set out in the table:
	
		Regional selective assistance grant awarded in East Sussex from 1992 to 2001
		
			 Constituency Total number of grants Total (£) 
		
		
			 1992 0 0 
			
			 1993 0 0 
			
			 1994   
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 40,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 5 163,912 
			
			 1995   
			 Bexhill and Battle 5 182,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 14 449,000 
			
			 1996   
			 Bexhill and Battle 7 1,033,900 
			 Hastings and Rye 7 430,000 
			
			 1997   
			 Bexhill and Battle 2 17,250 
			 Hastings and Rye 6 282,000 
			
			 1998   
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 7,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 238,000 
			
			 1999   
			 Bexhill and Battle 1 97,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 226,500 
			
			 2000   
			 Bexhill and Battle 3 93,000 
			 Brighton Kemptown 1 660,000 
			 Brighton Pavilion 1 95,000 
			 Hastings and Rye 4 150,500 
			
			 2001 0 0 
		
	
	
		Enterprise grants awarded in East Sussex from 1999 to 2001
		
			 Constituency Total number of grants Total (£) 
		
		
			 1999 0 0 
			
			 2000   
			 Hastings and Rye 2 26,800 
			 Lewes 2 100,900 
			
			 2001   
			 Bexhill and Battle 2 98,500 
			 Hastings and Rye 3 175,350 
			 Hove 3 104,700 
			 Lewes 3 136,949

Cable and Wireless

Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she has agreed to allow Cable and Wireless to redeem the special share that the Government holds with the company.

Patricia Hewitt: The Government's special share in Cable and Wireless was redeemed today for its nominal value of £1. This means that the Government no longer hold any shares in Cable and Wireless.
	The Government have made this decision to remove the requirement on Cable and Wireless to obtain the Government's written consent before making certain acquisitions or disposals. This should enable Cable and Wireless to make decisions that are in its own interests and consequently to compete more effectively in the telecommunications sector.

Coal Authority Quinquennial Review

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the report of the first stage of the quinquennial review of the Coal Authority will be published.

Brian Wilson: The report is being published today on my Department's website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/coal/ index.htm. Copies are also being placed in the Libraries of the House.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Women

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the benefits to the economy of flexible working for women.

Patricia Hewitt: The economy needs a high rate of labour participation and both women and men want opportunities for productive paid employment. Flexible working is often the key to women's participation. Employers who adopt flexible working policies report that: staff are easier to attract and recruitment costs are less; skilled staff are retained and better returns are gained from training; staff turnover decreases; staff morale improves and absenteeism decreases; and changing market conditions are dealt with more effectively. In addition to the economic advantages the opportunity to work flexible hours can make a real difference to the lives of women, whether it is the woman or her partner who works flexibly; their families; and, their children.
	Retention of staff is key to the stability of an organisation. The typical recruitment costs of replacing an individual have been estimated at £3,900. And these costs do not take account of the investment made in training which is lost if skilled employees have to change jobs. Skills are lost to the economy, for example, when women take lower skilled jobs and less well paid jobs on return from maternity leave. A survey of parents carried out in 2000 found that 10 per cent. of non-employed mothers with dependent children under 16 said that the lack of flexible working opportunities was the main barrier to their finding employment. The continuing pay gap is an indicator of the skills lost to the economy: women's hourly earnings are 81.6 per cent. of men's earnings.
	This is why the Government are looking to improve the opportunities to work flexible hours. The Government's Work-Life Balance campaign encourages all employers to introduce ways of working which meet the needs of the business and its customers while simultaneously improving the work-life balance of their employees. In addition, for working mothers and fathers who juggle their work responsibilities with caring for their children, the Government through their Employment Bill are introducing a right to apply to work flexibly for parents with children aged under six (or 18 for parents of disabled children). If the new right encourages the participation of just 5 per cent. of mothers alone who are currently economically inactive it will increase the labour supply of women by 55,000.

Women

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Minister for Women when she last met ministerial colleagues in the Department of Health to discuss health issues relating to women.

Patricia Hewitt: The Ministers for Women, supported by the Women and Equality Unit, have worked closely with our colleagues in the Department of Health and Department for Education and Skills in the production of a report entitled "Better Services—Better Working Lives" which was published in December 2001.
	The report was published as part of the Government's drive to deliver first class public services that are accessible to everyone. Women are the key users of health and education services, whether accessing the services themselves or for their children, and they are also in the forefront of delivering these services. The report which is based on the experiences of women as deliverers and users of these services will help inform future policy- making.

PRIME MINISTER

African Visit

Tony Lloyd: To ask the Prime Minister what the objectives of his forthcoming visit to Africa are; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I visited Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Senegal from 7–10 February. I was accompanied by the Secretary of State for International Development and my noble Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
	The main purpose of my visit was to discuss with African leaders how to take forward the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NePAD) and the G8 Action Plan for Africa. I had fruitful discussions with Presidents Obasanjo, Kufuor, Kabbah and Wade. In an address to the National Assembly in Nigeria I was able to set out the need for a true partnership of shared responsibility and mutual interest between the developed world and Africa. I focused on peace and conflict resolution, good government, trade, growth, health and education—themes we were able to develop further during the visit. I also discussed with President Obasanjo the need for free and fair presidential elections in March in Zimbabwe.
	I also addressed the National Parliament in Ghana and outlined the argument for a conception of aid as an investment in the future of Africa and the developed world. I visited the Ghana Armed Forces Staff College, where I met a number of African officers with experience of conflict resolution in Africa. At the Ghanaian Cocoa Research Institute in Tafo and at Suhun Co-operative I saw how Ghanaian farmers are seeking to improve cocoa production and increase the value they can add to their raw product in Ghana and discussed with them the consequences of globalisation.
	In Sierra Leone I saw the real and beneficial impact the UK's commitment to conflict resolution has had and how peace has been restored to a country whose democracy and stability were threatened by armed rebels. It was heartening to see the preparations for democratic elections this May. There is a long way to go, but the healing process is under way in Sierra Leone, in large part thanks to the role played by British and United Nations forces.
	In Senegal I attended a seminar hosted by President Wade on the conditions necessary to achieve growth in Africa, with President Kufuor, Vice President Zuma of South Africa, and a number of experts on regional integration President Chirac's personal representative on Africa also participated. On Sunday I visited Ouakam Centre near Dakar for people infected with HIV. HIV/AIDS is having a devastating effect in Africa. But Senegal, which has succeeded in keeping prevalence low, is a beacon of hope. I expressed our continued support for the Global Health Fund.
	This visit, as well as being an important expression of UK commitment to Africa, was important in deepening the dialogue with African leaders in the run-up to June's G8 Summit to be held in Canada where the partnership between the developed world and Africa would be a key issue.

Hinduja Inquiry

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will ensure that Sir Anthony Hammond will seek evidence from (a) S. P. Hinduja, (b) G. P. Hinduja and (c) Davin Jewell in his reopened inquiry.

Tony Blair: The decision who to invite for interview is a matter for Sir Anthony Hammond.

EU 037/2000

Michael Jack: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the communications received by his Office from 20 November onwards from Mr. Bill Moyes on the subject of the implications of EU 037/2000.

Tony Blair: As far as I am aware, I have not received any communications.

Lord Birt

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions Lord Birt has travelled by train since his appointment to the Forward Strategy Unit.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 22 January 2002, Official Report, columns 723–24W.

Lord Birt

Norman Lamb: To ask the Prime Minister what experience Lord Birt has in relation to rail transport.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) on 16 January 2002, Official Report, column 298W.

Lord Birt

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister if he will take steps to ensure that Lord Birt gives oral evidence to the Select Committees when requested.

Tony Blair: Ministers are directly accountable to the House for their decisions and actions. It is proper for them to express a preference as to who should explain their policies and what action is being taken in the House. This is in line with the practice of successive Governments. There has been no change to the rules.

Lord Birt

Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister what the cost is of the offices used by Lord Birt at 45 Old Bond street.

Tony Blair: There are no costs to the public purse.

Saudi Arabia

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Prime Minister what recent representations he has made to the Saudi Government on the treatment of imprisoned British nationals resident there; and how many British nationals are in prison in Saudi Arabia.

Tony Blair: The Government have made representations to the Saudi Government about those British nationals detained following a series of bombings. We continue to do so. I have personally raised these cases in my contact with the Saudi Government.
	Nine British nationals are currently detained in Saudi Arabia for various alleged offences.

Broadcasting and Telecommunications Reception

Tim Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish a summary of the remarks he made at the reception held at 10 Downing street for the broadcasting and telecommunications industry.

Tony Blair: This was an informal event. No summary of my remarks was made.

Broadcasting and Telecommunications Reception

Tim Yeo: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the (a) Ministers and (b) people and the organisations they represent who (i) were invited to and (ii) attended the reception held at 10 Downing street for the broadcasting and telecommunications industry.

Tony Blair: It is not my practice to list individual names of guests invited to receptions at 10 Downing street. A range of representatives from the communications industry attended.

LORD CHANCELLOR

Employment Rights Act

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to change the provisions of sections 50 and 51 of the Employment Rights Act 1996.

Alan Johnson: I have been asked to reply.
	We have no present plans.

Legal Services Ombudsman

George Howarth: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what training she has put in place for junior staff to take additional qualifications in the office of the Legal Services Ombudsman.

Rosie Winterton: All junior staff in the Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman have qualifications commensurate with their responsibilities and in line with the personnel policies of the Lord Chancellor's Department. However, the Department may assist with a proportion of the costs for staff who wish to obtain further qualifications through further education.

Auld Report

Dave Watts: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received on the Auld consultation; and if he will place copies of the responses in the Library.

Michael Wills: A total of 365 responses were received by the end of the period for public comment 31 January 2002. Copies of the responses will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Supreme Court Library. Responses from the general public and the main criminal justice stakeholders, subject to their agreement, will also be placed on the Lord Chancellor's website www.criminal-courts-review.org.uk. The Government will announce their conclusions by way of a White Paper in the spring.

Contracts

Don Foster: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many contracts were let by his Department and agencies for which he is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case.

Michael Wills: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			  Number of contracts £ 
		
		
			  (a) PricewaterhouseCoopers 
			 (i) 1997–98 3 460,056 
			 (ii) 1998–99 9 2,193,703 
			 (iii) 1999–2000 3 360,693 
			 (iv) 2000–01 4 65,812 
			 (v) 2001 to date 3 73,717 
			
			 (b) Ernst & Young   
			 (i) 1997–98 0 — 
			 (ii) 1998–99 1 227,588 
			 (iii) 1999–2000 1 29,375 
			 (iv) 2000–01 2 481,749 
			 (v) 2002 to date 3 301,720 
			
			 (c) Deloitte & Touche   
			 (i) 1997–98 0 — 
			 (ii) 1998–99 1 231,475 
			 (iii) 1999–2000 4 77,546 
			 (iv) 2000–01 4 193,778 
			 (v) 2001 to date 11 905,050 
			
			 (d) KPMG   
			 (i) 1997–98 3 340,426 
			 (ii) 1998–99 1 1,433 
			 (iii) 1999–2000 3 56,025 
			 (iv) 2000–01 1 4,183 
			 (v) 2001 to date 1 29,375 
			
			 (e) Anderson(14) — — 
		
	
	(14) No contracts have been let during the time period stated.
	Northern Ireland Court Service could not produce figures for 1997–98 as the information is not stored on their current accounting system.

Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to increase the maximum daily allowance for loss of earnings for magistrates.

Michael Wills: The financial loss allowance and allowances for travel and subsistence are reviewed annually. Any new rate is effective from 1 September. The last increase was in September 2001.

Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many magistrates have suffered substantial loss of earnings in order to ensure that they sit on their obligatory number of sitting days in the last five years.

Michael Wills: Such information does not exist.

Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what proportion of magistrates claimed loss of earnings in the last 12 months.

Michael Wills: The Lord Chancellor's Department does not collect figures for the proportion of magistrates claiming for loss of earnings. However, a report "The Judiciary in the Magistrates' Courts" (RDS Occasional Paper No. 66), prepared for the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Home Office, and published in late 2000 suggested that 76 per cent. of magistrates who stated that they were employed did not claim any loss of earnings.

Magistrates

Vera Baird: To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the maximum daily allowance is for loss of earnings for a magistrate.

Michael Wills: The financial loss allowance payable to self-employed magistrates is £41.78 for a sitting of up to four hours and £83.56 for over four hours. The amounts payable to employed magistrates, which are not taxable, are £32.17 for a sitting of up to four hours; and £64.34 for over four hours.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Rural Bus Services

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 22 November 2001, Official Report, column 427–28W, if she will list the rural authorities and settlements that have a bus service (a) six days, (b) seven days and (c) six/seven days a week.

Alun Michael: The most comprehensive information about parishes and settlements and the extent to which they have a bus service (a) six days, (b) seven days and (c) six/seven days a week is based on completed parish clerk questionnaire responses to the Countryside Agency's Rural Services Survey. This is information collected in the year 2000 and is available on the Countryside Agency's website at: www.countryside.gov.uk/ruralservices/ index.htm
	It is not possible to provide a list in respect of rural authorities and settlements as requested because the information is not available in the format requested.
	It should be noted that a combined list of parishes and settlements in 2000 would be over 14,000 rows long with information from 6,100 parish councils covering 12,200 settlements.
	For 1997 information was collected only at parish level by the Rural Development Commission (one of the Countryside Agency's predecessor organisations). It is not readily available in a parish list format.

Suckler Cow Premium

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list, by region, the value of outstanding payments for suckler cow premium.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The value of claims awaiting payment at 31 January 2002 is as follows:
	
		£ 
		
			 RPA office Value 
		
		
			 Cambridge 2,512,448.00 
			 Carlisle 8,430,340.90 
			 Crewe 3,231,748.40 
			 Exeter 11,613,583.00 
			 Newcastle 1,337,837.70 
			 Northallerton 7,883,602.80 
			 Nottingham 3,234,627.40 
			 Reading 1,895,917.20 
			  
			 Total 40,140,105.40

EAGA

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what monitoring and evaluation systems she has in place for measuring the progress of EAGA.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 5 February 2002
	EAGA Partnership is one of the two scheme managers for the Government's Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) in England. HEES is marketed as the Warm Front Team and is the Government's main programme for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector.
	DEFRA keeps in regular contact with EAGA Partnership. EAGA is set annual performance targets for each of its three regions. This is further broken down into the six catchment areas used by the Government Offices. These targets include: levels of spend per area and the number of householders to be assisted at the £1,000 and £2,000 grant levels. The number of central heating installations, repairs and replacement boilers to be fitted are also incorporated into the annual targets.
	Monthly performance reports assess delivery against targets and covers issues such as customer care and heating capacity. This process is further strengthened by the use of an external contractor, White Young Green, to biannually audit both HEES scheme managers quality control systems.

EAGA

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on what procedures EAGA have for developing liaison with (a) energy advice offices at local level and (b) installers, with particular reference to warm zones.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 5 February 2002
	EAGA Partnership, is one of the two scheme managers for the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES). It works with the Energy Efficiency Advice Centres (EEACs) throughout England to promote the benefits of the scheme. A number of EEACs undertake the initial home survey where a client's eligibility for assistance under HEES is assessed. The surveyor also recommends the appropriate insulation and heating measures to be installed. The advice centres use EAGA's publicity materials to promote the scheme. EAGA is working to further strengthen its partnership links with EEACs to assist in the delivery of the scheme.
	HEES installers are appointed by the scheme managers through open competition following UK Public Procurement Rules and Regulations. Appointments are made on the basis of ability to meet the technical and quality requirements of the scheme and the price tendered. Installers' catchment areas may include areas covered by The Warm Zones pilot initiatives. A number of installers work with EAGA in these areas to refer potential clients to the scheme and are required to follow a code of practice on customer care.

Aggregates Tax

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ensure that moneys from the aggregates tax sustainability fund are used to support projects in areas where quarrying has the greatest environmental impact.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 16 January 2002
	Consultation on how to distribute the sustainability fund in England ended on 27 November 2001. We are currently reflecting on all the issues raised by the consultation, and decisions on the final shape and distribution of the fund are expected to be made soon.

Recycling Plants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member states have implemented EC Regulation 2037/2000; and if she will list the commencement date in each case.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	EC Regulations are directly applicable in all member states, once they enter into force they form part of the law in each member state. EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 applied from 1 October 2000. The provisions relating to the management of waste domestic refrigeration equipment came into effect on 1 January 2002.

Recycling Plants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many officials in her Department are engaged in ensuring the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Five officials (the equivalent of approximately two full- time posts) are engaged in ensuring the implementation of the regulation with regard to the manufacture, use, trade and export of ozone depleting substances. A further six officials (the equivalent of approximately three full-time posts) are engaged on the waste management aspects of the regulation.

Recycling Plants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has had with outside bodies regarding the implementation of EC Regulation 2037/2000; when they took place; and who was present on each occasion.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	I have not met with outside bodies regarding this matter. However, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment met with a number of electrical retailers on Thursday 24 January—those present at the meeting included representatives from Dixon Group plc, RETRA (Radio Electrical and Television Retailers Association) and Kingfisher plc. There have also been a number of official level meetings with representatives from local authorities, the commercial refrigeration sector, electrical retailers, the voluntary sector, trade associations, and waste management companies too.

Recycling Plants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress towards meeting the recycling targets of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	EC Regulation No. 2037/2000 does not contain specific targets for recycling. However, there are a number of options for dealing with waste fridges including re-use, export to other member states for treatment, disposal in the UK via high temperature incineration and storage pending treatment in the UK. Investors are in the process of providing a network of new recycling facilities in the United Kingdom. I understand that the first new facilities are likely to be operational in the spring.

Recycling Plants

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish detailed specifications for the design and construction of recycling plants to meet the obligations of EC Regulation 2037/2000.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Draft standards for the extraction of ozone depleting substances from waste refrigeration equipment were issued in early December. These standards are currently being finalised by the Environment Agency and will be published shortly. All plant will need to meet these standards, but other decisions regarding the design and construction of recycling plants are matters for companies investing in these facilities.

Departmental Spending

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of spending by her Department against budget in the current financial year.

Margaret Beckett: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Spending against budget is monitored during the year. It is forecast that existing budgets will be fully utilised during the current financial year.

Recycling

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding she is providing to (a) Gloucestershire and (b) local government in England to help with recycling projects; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The Government have increased funding for the Environmental Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block, which includes waste management, by £1.1 billion over the SR2000 period. There is also a ring-fenced fund of £140 million for local authority recycling and £220 million for waste private finance initiative projects over the same period. Councils will also benefit from the £40 million to the waste and resources action programme to overcome market barriers to reuse and recycling of waste.
	The Department has just concluded a consultation on its proposals for the distribution of the £140 million fund. At this stage it is not possible to identify what funding Gloucestershire county council might receive from this source.

Refrigerators

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the expected cost to local authorities is of providing temporary storage for refrigerators.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 29 January 2002
	The estimated costs for dealing with waste fridges are in the range of £22 to £35. This figure will cover transport, handling, storage and processing. The storage element will vary according to the length of storage, location of the site, and whether the local authority own the storage site.

Refrigerators

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding her Department has allocated to (a) Buckinghamshire county council and (b) Aylesbury Vale district council to assist with the costs of storing and processing refrigerators and freezers; and what plans she has to make further funding available.

Michael Meacher: £6 million has been added to the provisional local government finance settlement for 2002–03 for the costs of implementing the ozone depleting substances regulation relating to the period 1 January 2002 to 31 March 2002. This will be distributed to local authorities using Standard Spending Assessments (SSA). The extra money has been added to the upper tier sub-block of the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA. We are continuing to assess the impacts of the regulation and will determine what further action is required beyond that.

Wye Navigation Order

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by what date she will announce her decision on the Wye Navigation Order.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 7 February 2002
	I hope that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be able to announce a decision by the end of June.

Sellafield

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the summary of responses to the Sellafield MOX plant consultation 2001.

Margaret Beckett: A comprehensive summary of the responses to the consultation exercises on the Sellafield MOX plant formed one of three annexes to the Decision Document, published jointly by my Department and the Department of Health on 3 October 2001. The Decision Document and the annexes can be downloaded from my Department's website www.defra.gov.uk/environment/ radioactivity/mox/index.htm.

Sellafield

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names of respondents to the 2001 consultation on the Sellafield MOX plant who were (a) in favour and (b) against the SMP.

Margaret Beckett: Government Departments undertook two consultation exercises on the Sellafield MOX plant during 2001. Copies of all the responses (about 8,000), apart from those who asked for their responses to remain confidential, are available in my Department's library.

Sellafield

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which SMP customers have specified that they want their separated plutonium back as MOX fuel and which have indicated that they do not want it immobilised as a waste.

Margaret Beckett: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given on 15 October 2001, Official Report, column 1097W.

Water Industry Act

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she intends to take to review the Water Industry Act 1991.

Michael Meacher: The Government's draft Water Bill, published for public consultation on 6 November 2000, proposed amendments to existing water legislation including the Water Industry Act 1991. The Bill aims to give water consumers a better deal by creating a more open and accountable industry. The Bill will be introduced when parliamentary time allows.

Noise Act

Tom Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions by local authorities there have been in each of the last three years under the Noise Act 1996.

Michael Meacher: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Available figures for all prosecutions against noise offences are collected by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) but figures are not held specifically for prosecutions under the Noise Act 1996. Figures for 2000–01 published by CIEH were announced by me on 20 December 2001. This information has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses but is also available on both the DEFRA and CIEH websites. A summary of the figures follows:
	
		
			  Category of noise nuisance  
			  Industrial Commercial/ leisure Domestic Construction/ demolition sites Vehicles Equipment in the street 
		
		
			 1998–99   
			 Complaints received 11,393 21,493 114,245 6,543 3,764 2,762 
			 Complaints per million population 444 836 4,330 248 146 107 
			 Notices served(15) 313 549 3,479 442 252 54 
			 Prosecutions(15) 12 18 168 22 12 3 
			 Convictions(15) 10 14 156 8 0 3 
			
			 1999–2000   
			 Complaints received 12,738 28,661 155,860 8,829 4,686 3,384 
			 Complaints per million population 421 960 5,149 292 156 113 
			 Notices served(15) 336 1,000 5,142 547 537 90 
			 Prosecutions(15) 6 45 349 8 0 2 
			 Convictions(15) 2 42 304 8 0 2 
			
			 2000–01   
			 Complaints received 11,475 34,745 169,810 10,822 5,172 6,501 
			 Complaints per million population 346 1,038 5,001 325 162 209 
			 Notices served(15) 283 1,393 5,351 808 507 236 
			 Prosecutions(15) 4 78 313 39 2 4 
			 Convictions(15) 4 49 255 28 0 2 
		
	
	(15) Figures grossed where incomplete.

Foot and Mouth

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 22 January 2002, Official Report, column 781W, if the improved ELISA test was used to diagnose those animals slaughtered after the last case of foot and mouth; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: The improved ELISA test was used as a screening test in the extensive serological testing programme that took place. Sera which gave positive ELISA tests were subject to a virus neutralisation test before any decision to cull animals was taken.

Foot and Mouth

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when MAFF (a) started and (b) concluded its investigation into whether pigs identified as suffering from foot and mouth disease on 19 February 2001 had been fed on illegally imported meat; and what their conclusion was.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The State Veterinary Service started an epidemiological inquiry into the origins of the foot and mouth outbreak immediately the first case was confirmed. These investigations are still ongoing. There are related criminal proceedings currently under way and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Foot and Mouth

Peter Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what moneys are outstanding to Dumfries and Galloway council in respect of that region's foot and mouth disease containment activities in 2001.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 7 February 2002
	The Department has already paid the bulk of Dumfries and Galloway council's claim in respect of their disease control costs incurred during the foot and mouth outbreak. On 24 January 2002, my officials met with representatives of the council and SEERAD officials to resolve a number of outstanding issues relating to their claim. Agreement was reached on the payment process for the remaining £2,183,428.09. This should be paid in the next few weeks.
	A claim for damages to roads has been submitted by the council and is being considered by the Department.

Farm Prices

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) farmgate and (b) market price was of (i) sheep, (ii) pigs, (iii) beef cattle, (iv) dairy cattle, (v) broiler chickens, (vi) free range chickens, (vii) sugar beet and (viii) cereals in each year since 1990.

Elliot Morley: The following tables show the farm gate output values, variable production costs, gross margins, fixed production costs and net margins for lowland sheep, pigs, beef cattle, dairy cattle, cereals and sugar beet for those years since 1990 for which data are available. These data are based on results from DEFRA commissioned surveys into the economics of farm enterprises. Data for broiler chickens and free range chickens are not available.
	
		Lowland sheep -- £ per ewe
		
			  Lamb crop  
			  Output Variable costs Gross margin Fixed costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991 56 23 33 n/a n/a 
			 1992 57 23 34 n/a n/a 
			 1993 66 24 42 n/a n/a 
			 1994 67 25 42 51 -9 
			 1995 71 26 45 n/a n/a 
			 1996 77 27 49 n/a n/a 
			 1997 70 27 43 n/a n/a 
			 1998 66 25 40 n/a n/a 
			 1999 57 24 32 66 -33 
			 2000 57 25 32 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		Pigs(16) -- £ per finished pig
		
			 October to September Value of finished pig Feed costs Margin over feed Total costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991–92 73 42 31 64 9 
			 1992–93 71 45 26 67 4 
			 1993–94 62 42 20 n/a n/a 
			 1994–95 72 42 31 n/a n/a 
			 1995–96 91 47 44 n/a n/a 
			 1996–97 77 43 34 70 7 
			 1997–98 59 39 20 65 -6 
			 1998–99 49 34 15 59 -10 
			 1999–2000 58 36 22 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 68 40 28 n/a n/a 
		
	
	(16) Data based on results from special surveys into the economics of pig production
	
		Lowland beef cattle finished at 16–22 months(17) -- £ per head
		
			 Calendar year Output Variable costs Gross margin Fixed costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991 223 122 101 n/a n/a 
			 1992 215 126 88 n/a n/a 
			 1993 265 132 133 n/a n/a 
			 1994 266 138 129 n/a n/a 
			 1995 289 146 143 141 2 
			 1996 256 163 93 158 -65 
			 1997 198 145 53 n/a n/a 
			 1998 209 136 72 n/a n/a 
			 1999 249 134 113 n/a n/a 
			 2000 248 137 111 n/a n/a 
		
	
	(17) Data based on results from special surveys into the economics of lowland beef production
	
		Dairy cows -- £ per cow
		
			 April to March Output Variable costs Gross margin Fixed costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991–92 1,149 413 737 n/a n/a 
			 1992–93 1,240 427 813 n/a n/a 
			 1993–94 1,297 468 829 n/a n/a 
			 1994–95 1,318 497 821 n/a n/a 
			 1995–96 1,453 555 897 n/a n/a 
			 1996–97 1,480 547 933 574 359 
			 1997–98 1,293 485 808 n/a n/a 
			 1998–99 1,192 441 751 n/a n/a 
			 1999–2000 1,117 448 669 n/a n/a 
			 2000–01 1,137 455 682 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		Winter wheat -- £ per ha
		
			 Harvest year Output Variable costs Gross margin Fixed costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991 861 258 603 n/a n/a 
			 1992 892 253 640 n/a n/a 
			 1993 952 265 688 365 322 
			 1994 1,063 268 795 n/a n/a 
			 1995 1,253 281 972 n/a n/a 
			 1996 1,157 300 857 n/a n/a 
			 1997 919 309 610 n/a n/a 
			 1998 856 279 577 429 148 
			 1999 872 255 617 n/a n/a 
			 2000 835 256 579 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		Barley -- £ per ha
		
			 Harvest year Output Variable costs Gross margin Fixed costs Net margin 
		
		
			 1991 659 212 447 n/a n/a 
			 1992 764 211 553 n/a n/a 
			 1993 805 212 593 360 233 
			 1994 895 213 682 n/a n/a 
			 1995 1,076 224 852 n/a n/a 
			 1996 1,028 247 780 n/a n/a 
			 1997 804 249 555 n/a n/a 
			 1998 735 226 509 418 91 
			 1999 761 205 556 n/a n/a 
			 2000 732 207 525 n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		Sugar beet—harvest year 1995
		
			  £ per ha 
		
		
			 Output 1,886 
			 Variable costs 636 
			 Gross margin 1,249 
			 Fixed costs 564 
			 Net margin 685 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures may not add due to rounding

Dairy Farms

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the revenue lost per annum since 1990 to dairy farms as a result of (a) bovine TB, (b) pneumonia, (c) bovine viral diarrhoea, (c) mastitis, (d) calf scours and (e) foot rot, broken down by constituency.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 31 January 2002
	Information is not collated on the impact on farmers' revenues of different animal diseases.

Dairy Farms

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average veterinary costs per annum since 1990 to dairy farms were as a result of (a) bovine TB, (b) pneumonia, (c) bovine viral diarrhoea, (c) mastitis, (d) calf scours and (e) foot rot, broken down by constituency.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 31 January 2002
	While estimates of average veterinary costs per farm for dairy farms are available, it is not possible to attribute these costs to specific animal diseases nor to give these by constituency.

Genotype Test Errors

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 240W, on genotype test errors, if she will list (a) the total number of samples that were originally tested, (b) the number of samples that were originally tested that were found to have been wrong, (c) the total number of samples that have been retested and (d) the total number of samples that have been retested that were subsequently found to be wrong.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 6 February 2002
	The information requested is as follows:
	(a) Total number of samples that were originally tested by LGC
	Up to 4,257
	(Note: This is the total number of samples that had been sent to LGC by DEFRA: results had been reported to DEFRA for 2,420 of these at the time the problem was identified.)
	(b) Number of samples that were originally tested that were found to have been wrong
	At the time the problems emerged, LGC estimated that up to 356 samples had been wrongly reported to DEFRA. A definitive figure could not be arrived at prior to re-testing of all samples.
	(c) Total number of samples that have been retested
	4,257
	(Note: That is, all the samples that had been sent to LGC were re-tested.)
	(d) The total number of samples that have been re-tested that were subsequently found to be wrong.
	304
	The number that had been reported to sheep flock owners is 39, representing less that 0.2 per cent. of the total samples processed by the two private-sector laboratories (of which LGC is one) contracted to provide genotyping services to DEFRA.
	(Note: The figure of 304 is the number of original samples which, as a result of re-testing, were found to have had been wrongly reported to DEFRA.)

Mains Sewerage

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to set targets to reduce the number of residential properties not connected to mains sewerage.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 5 February 2002
	It would not be practicable to set targets as it is largely a matter between householders and sewerage undertakers which has to be considered on a case-by-case basis. If their existing non mains drainage system is causing an environmental or amenity problem, householders can apply to the sewerage undertaker to provide mains sewerage, the cost of which would be met by customers generally if the specified criteria are met. Alternatively, a householder not on mains sewerage can requisition a sewer from the sewerage undertaker with the householder meeting the cost.

Mains Sewerage

Helen Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many residential properties in each region have been connected to mains sewerage for the first time in the last 12 months for which figures are available.

Michael Meacher: holding answer 5 February 2002
	Ofwat does not collect information on how many residential properties in each region are connected to mains sewerage each year. It collects estimates from sewerage companies each year of the number of households served by those companies. Estimates for the year 2001–02 are published by Ofwat in "Tariff structure and charges 2001–02 report". Copies are in the Library. The figures for 2000–01 and 2001–02 are as follows.
	
		Thousand 
		
			   Householders  
			  2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 Anglian Water 2,188 2,208 
			 Dwy Cymru 1,177 1,192 
			 United Utilities 2,706 2,737 
			 Northumbrian Water 1,049 1,042 
			 Severn Trent Water 3,291 3,314 
			 South West Water 569 576 
			 Southern Water 1,610 1,628 
			 Thames Water 4,830 4,883 
			 Wessex Water 982 947 
			 Yorkshire Water 1,864 1,886

Correspondence

David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Inverness, East, Nairn and Lochaber of 3 July 2001 on behalf of Dr. A. Jones of Nethy Bridge.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 4 February 2002
	We have no record of having received the letter referred to by my hon. Friend.

Circuses

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the animal welfare implications of circus practices involving the use of animals within the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Elliot Morley: holding answer 29 January 2002
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply that I gave him on 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 239W.

Regional Food

Bob Blizzard: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she is taking to promote regional food chain supply and marketing initiatives.

Elliot Morley: We are pursuing a wide range of activities at regional and national level, directly and through bodies such as the Countryside Agency and Food from Britain which we grant aid. Support for appropriate projects is also available under the England Rural Development Programme.

Countryside Stewardship Scheme

Kevin Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on administering the Countryside Stewardship Scheme; and what proportion of total spending on the Countryside Stewardship Scheme was paid to farmers in each of the last five years.

Elliot Morley: The table shows how much of the Department's running cost budget has been spent on administering the Countryside Stewardship Scheme over the last five years compared with payments to farmers over the same period (the latter is also expressed as a percentage of the total).
	
		£000 
		
			  Administration costs Payments to farmers Percentage payments to farmers 
		
		
			 1997–98 6,690 15,078 69 
			 1998–99 7,643 19,896 72 
			 1999–2000 8,541 23,892 74 
			 2000–01 13,712 29,753 68 
			 2001–02(18) 8,911 48,893 85 
		
	
	(18) 2001–02 figures are provisional and not strictly comparable with previous years, owing to 1. the creation of the Rural Development Service on 1 April 2001; 2. the diversion of staff on to FMD duties during the course of 2001.

Badgers

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she issues on the relocation of badgers in suburban areas from (a) private home owners, (b) schools and (c) other public buildings.

Elliot Morley: Badgers and their setts are protected under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992. For the purposes of preventing serious damage to property there is provision within the legislation for action to be taken under a licence from the Department. This is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Where relocation is the only feasible option the Department provides technical advice.

Badgers

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Department of Health regarding the transmission of TB by badgers.

Elliot Morley: In order to keep under review the potential of Mycobacterium bovis to infect humans a Joint Liaison Group on Bovine Tuberculosis in Animals and Man was established between the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department of Health (DH). Liaison between the Department and DH continues through the Chief Medical Officer's UK Zoonoses Group.

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost to her Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Elliot Morley: The Department has only been in existence since June 2001, so does not have such historical information. The forecast cost in 2001–02 for accountancy services is £561k.

National Parks

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will give national parks the right to be represented on regional assemblies.

Alun Michael: The Government's proposals for elected regional assemblies in England will be presented to Parliament in a White Paper as soon as it is ready. This will set out the relationship between assemblies and other local and regional stakeholders.

Dorset

Jim Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the financial initiatives and resources sponsored by her Department in the last 12 months for Dorset which are additional to the Government SSA grants.

Elliot Morley: The major financial initiatives and resources sponsored in the last 12 months for Dorset are:
	(a) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments
	
		£000 
		
			 Scheme UK EU 
		
		
			 Arable Area Payment Scheme 427 200 
			 Beef Special Premium Scheme 59 2,265 
			 Countryside Stewardship Scheme 427 200 
			 Extensification Payment Scheme 23 788 
			 Environmentally Sensitive Areas 206 188 
			 Slaughter Premium Scheme (EUTM) 0 122 
			 Exception Payments (Miscellaneous) 23 0 
			 Farm Woodland Premium Scheme 12 4 
			 Farm Woodland Scheme 6 1 
			 Organic Farming Scheme 325 303 
			 Sheep Annual Premium Scheme 0 1,002 
			 Suckler Cow Premium Scheme 2 1,095 
			 Slaughter Premium Scheme 0 3 
		
	
	(b) Flood and Coastal Defences
	In the last 12 months the following schemes and studies have been approved for grant aid:
	
		
			 Operating authority Scheme 
		
		
			 Purbeck borough council Evening Hill coast protection 
			  Swanage beach management study 
			  Durlston Bay strategy study 
			 Bournemouth borough council Poole and Christchurch Bay strategy study 
			 West Dorset district council Beaminster Ph3A flood alleviation 
			  Lyme Regis (Windsor Terrace) flood alleviation 
			  Preston Brook study 
			 Environment Agency Pymore flood alleviation 
			  Flood warning improvements 
		
	
	The Department has paid grants of some £756,000 to the named schemes, as well as other on-going schemes.
	As part of the response to the autumn 2000 floods, the Department has further provided the Environment Agency with special contributions towards the costs of (i) emergency response and repairs and (ii) design and feasibility for accelerated river defences. The contributions made to the Avon/Dorset Flood Defence Committee in the last 12 months for these items have totalled £413,000 and £164,000 respectively.

Farm Payments

Michael Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total amount paid to farm businesses was in each of the last five years, indicating in each case the cost of administering the (a) arable area payment scheme, (b) suckler cow premium scheme, (c) hill livestock compensatory allowance, (d) hill farming allowance, (e) countryside stewardship scheme and (f) environmentally sensitive areas schemes.

Elliot Morley: The amounts paid for (a) arable area payments scheme were:
	
		£ 
		
			 Scheme year Amount paid Administration costs 
		
		
			 1996 1,054,740,241 6,824,000 
			 1997 1,055,721,796 6,388,000 
			 1998 685,942,025 6,730,000 
			 1999 1,130,409,358 6,347,000 
			 2000 882,979,696 (19)7,222,000 
		
	
	(19) Estimated outturn
	The amounts paid for (b) suckler cow premium scheme were:
	
		£ 
		
			 Scheme year Amount paid Administration costs 
		
		
			 1996 81,524,702 2,685,900 
			 1997 78,762,180 2,373,600 
			 1998 77,854,276 2,493,300 
			 1999 70,567,139 3,752,071 
			 2000 67,923,516 3,742,781 
		
	
	The amounts paid for (c) hill livestock compensatory allowance were:
	
		£ 
		
			 Scheme year Amount paid Administration costs 
		
		
			 1996 27,128,357 1,127,000 
			 1997 42,398,518 996,000 
			 1998 28,086,148 1,046,000 
			 1999 44,288,837 1,755,281 
			 2000 43,666,451 927,037 
		
	
	There were no amounts paid for (d) hill farm allowance for these periods.
	The amounts paid for (e) countryside stewardship scheme were:
	
		£ 
		
			 Scheme year Amount paid Administration costs 
		
		
			 1996 12,468,000 2,031,000 
			 1997 17,126,000 1,793,000 
			 1998 22,030,000 1,884,000 
			 1999 26,038,000 1,773,000 
			 2000 31,915,000 2,918,000 
		
	
	The amounts paid for (f) environmentally sensitive areas scheme were:
	
		£ 
		
			 Scheme year Amount paid Administration costs 
		
		
			 1996 27,591,000 1,461,000 
			 1997 32,984,000 1,290,000 
			 1998 36,376,000 1,355,000 
			 1999 41,144,000 1,743,000 
			 2000 43,807,000 2,005,000

Farm Closures

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) farms and (b) farm closures there were in each constituency in each year since 1990.

Elliot Morley: Figures showing the number of farms in each constituency for 1990, 1995 and 2000 are being made available in the House of Commons Library. Figures are not readily available for the years in between. Information on the number of farm closures in each constituency is not available.

Ministerial Trips

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in each of the last four years, specifying the purpose and cost of each trip.

Elliot Morley: I refer to the hon. Member to the reply given to him by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 707W.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Higher Education (Bassetlaw)

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of people in Bassetlaw have attended higher education; and what the national average is.

Margaret Hodge: The latest available figures from the local area labour force survey show that, in 2000–01, 18.3 per cent. of people of working age resident in the constituency of Bassetlaw held a qualification at degree level (or equivalent) or above, compared to 23.3 per cent. in the United Kingdom.

Student Tuition Fees

George Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many representations she has received since 1997 from (a) education bodies and groups, (b) hon. Members and (c) members of the public concerning tuition fees for students; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Since 1 April 2000 the Department has received 103 letters from hon. Members and 421 letters from members of the public about tuition fees in higher education. We cannot give a breakdown of how many letters on this subject were received from education bodies and groups. Prior to 1 April 2000, no centralised electronic record was kept and we cannot therefore give reliable information.
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a review of higher education student finance in October. In view of the benefits conferred on individuals by higher education, the Government believe it is right for students and their families to contribute to the cost. We are re-examining the balance of contributions between the state, the students and their families to ensure that we have appropriate arrangements in place to expand participation to 50 per cent. of those aged 18–30 by 2010.

Higher Education (Access)

Hywel Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on Government policy relating to widening participation in higher education.

Margaret Hodge: The Government's policy is to increase participation so that by the end of the decade, 50 per cent. of 18 to 30 year olds have the opportunity to experience higher education. As part of this objective, the Government intend to widen participation to those groups traditionally under-represented in higher education. We have taken a number of steps to support our policy. They include the Excellence Challenge programme, targeted at raising the aspirations of young people from our cities, educational maintenance allowances introduced in pilot areas to encourage greater staying-on and attainment rates post-16; policy to raise levels at 16 and 18, by driving up standards in secondary schools; the Connexions Service, to ensure that young people get the advice and support they need to achieve; and new qualifications in school, college and university to expand choices of study.

Higher Education (Access)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many universities had agreed a target for widening participation by 31 December 2001.

Margaret Hodge: 122 of the 126 higher education institutions that were required by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to submit widening participation strategies, have agreed their targets with the funding council. HEFCE is working with the four outstanding institutions to agree their targets and we expect those targets to be agreed as soon as possible.

Higher Education (Access)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what financial penalties she plans to impose on institutions which do not agree targets on widening participation in university education.

Margaret Hodge: The funding of individual higher education institutions, and the terms and conditions of grant, are matters for the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). In HEFCE circular 01/29, the Funding Council stated that:
	"If (Widening Participation) strategies and acceptable accompanying action plans are not submitted, we may withhold all or part of the funding for 2001–02 from the postcode premium, and/or aspiration funding, where applicable. Funding for future years (2002–03, 2003–04) will be released on the production and approval of a report on progress towards the targets set in the action plan".
	HEFCE is at present considering what further measures to introduce, and will consult with the sector about this shortly.

Higher Education (Access)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she has given HEFCE on promoting wider participation in university education.

Margaret Hodge: The guidance, which the Secretary of State has provided to HEFCE was outlined in the grant letter of 29 November 2001 to the council, a copy of which can be found in the Commons Library. This guidance emphasises the importance given to the Government's commitment to widen participation and to meet their target of ensuring that 50 per cent. of young people should have the opportunity to benefit from higher education by the time they reach 30 years of age.

Higher Education (Access)

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the cost of meeting the Government's target on widening participation in university education.

Margaret Hodge: The Government are committed to increasing and widening participation. Costs are being considered as part of the spending review. The outcome of the spending review will be made public in the summer.

Departmental Leave Entitlement

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in her Department in each of the last four years.

Ivan Lewis: Since 1 April 2000 all staff outside of the senior civil service have been entitled to 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising to 30 days after 10 years' service.
	Between 1 August 1998 and 31 March 2000, staff up to and including Higher Executive Officer (HEO) were entitled to 25 days on appointment. Staff in grades up to and including HEO equivalent qualified for 30 days entitlement after 15 years' service. Staff at Senior Executive Officer (SEO)—Grade 6 continued to qualify for 30 days after 10 years service.
	Prior to 1 August 1998, staff in grades up to and including HEO equivalent received 22 days entitlement on appointment, rising to 25 days after one year. Staff in grades at SEO—Grade 6 received 25 days on appointment. Staff in grades up to Executive Officer (EO) equivalent qualified for 30 days entitlement after 20 years' service, staff at HEO equivalent qualified for 30 days after 15 years' service, and SEO—Grade 6 qualified for 30 days after 10 years' service.
	Annual leave entitlement for members of the senior civil service is set at 30 days and has been for the last four years.

Student Finance

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants and loans are available to a higher education non-home student living and studying outside London, with parents (a) who are each earning £20,000 a year and are divorced, (b) who are each earning £20,000 a year and are married and (c) one whom is earning £40,000 a year and the other of whom earns nothing.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The starting point for assessment of student support is the parents' gross taxable income. This is reduced by certain allowances, largely pension contributions that qualify for tax relief, to produce a residual income. In the case of divorced or separated parents, local education authorities will normally base the assessment on the parent's residual income with whom the student lives.
	In 2001–02 academic year, a student who was living away from the parental home, studying outside London, whose parent's residual income is £20,000 a year would be eligible to receive a public contribution of £1,030 towards their tuition fees and a student loan of £3,815.
	A student with the same circumstances but whose parents are married and have a combined residual income of £40,000 would be liable to meet the full cost of tuition fees of £1,075 but would be eligible to receive a student loan of £2,860. The same level of support would also be available to a student where one parent had a residual income of £40,000 a year and the other parent had no income as the public support we provide is based on joint parental income.

Examination Marking

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many examiners in England and Wales were examining (a) A-level, (b) AS-level and (c) GCSE for the first time in 2001; what percentage the total of these figures is of the total number of examiners; and what the comparable (i) A-level and (ii) GCSE figures were for 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Data on first time examiners recruited by the awarding bodies are not collated by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority or the Department. Each awarding body keeps its own records.

Fair Trade Fortnight

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to encourage participation by her Department in Fair Trade Fortnight from 4 to 17 March.

Ivan Lewis: We welcome initiatives that aim to support sustainable development education. Various areas of the curriculum in England provide opportunities to study fair trade and other international development issues in all sectors of education. It is up to educational institutions to choose whether and how to take part in a particular initiative such as Fair Trade Fortnight. The Department for International Development is providing £120,000 to the Fairtrade Foundation over three years (2001–03) in support of its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns.

Class Sizes (St. Helens)

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) five, (b) six and (c) seven-year-olds in (i) St. Helens, South, (ii) St. Helens metropolitan borough authority and (iii) Merseyside were in class sizes of over 30 in (A) 1997, (B) 1998, (C) 1999, (D) 2000 and (E) 2001.

John Healey: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of key stage 1 pupils in classes of 31 or more taught by one teacher in maintained primary schools(20)—as at January each year
		
			   St. Helens, South St. Helens local education authority Merseyside Government office region England 
		
		
			 1997 1,080 2,463 15,859 476,822 
			 1998 1,087 2,519 16,293 485,311 
			 1999 990 2,271 11,746 356,586 
			 2000 561 1,050 (21)— 176,962 
			 2001 32 32 (21)— 35,813 
		
	
	(20) Includes middle schools as deemed
	(21) Not applicable
	Source:
	Annual Schools Census
	From January 2000 the Merseyside region was included within the north-west Government office region.

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to his answer of 31 January 2002, Official Report, column 483W, how many learning providers fall into each decile measured by the amount owed to them by her Department (a) on 23 November 2001 and (b) on 24 October 2001; and what was the upper and lower value of each decile.

John Healey: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The figures for amounts owed in the tables include payments due for eligible claims and amounts withheld from providers already suspended prior to the closure of the programme on 23 November. The figures for amounts owed in the table for 23 November also include amounts withheld pending validation checks on claims.
	
		(a) Amounts owed to providers at 23 November 2001
		
			 Decile Range start (£) Range end (£) Number of registered providers 
		
		
			 1 1 100,826 2,323 
			 2 100,826 201,651 23 
			 3 201,651 302,477 9 
			 4 302,477 403,303 6 
			 5 403,303 504,129 0 
			 6 504,129 604,954 2 
			 7 604,954 705,780 0 
			 8 705,780 806,606 1 
			 9 806,606 907,431 0 
			 10 907,431 1,008,257 1 
			
			 Total   2,365 
		
	
	
		(b) Amounts owed to providers at 24 October 2001
		
			 Decile Range start (£) Range end (£) Number of registered providers 
		
		
			 1 1 34,660 1,238 
			 2 34,660 69,320 33 
			 3 69,320 103,980 8 
			 4 103,980 138,640 0 
			 5 138,640 173,300 3 
			 6 173,300 207,960 0 
			 7 207,960 242,620 1 
			 8 242,620 277,280 0 
			 9 277,280 311,940 1 
			 10 311,940 346,600 1 
			
			 Total   1,285

Individual Learning Accounts

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many learning providers under the ILA scheme fall into each decile measured by the value of their work for the Department; and what was the upper and lower value of each decile.

John Healey: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The figures of registered learning providers listed in the table relate only to those providers who have at some stage made claims through the Individual Learning Account Centre system. The value of work covers the period from 1 September 2000 to 23 November 2001 and includes amounts withheld from providers already suspended prior to the programme closure on 23 November and amounts withheld pending validation checks on claims.
	
		
			 Decile Range start (£) Range end (£) Number of registered providers 
		
		
			 1 1 626,347 5,984 
			 2 626,347 1,252,694 48 
			 3 1,252,694 1,879,042 20 
			 4 1,879,042 2,505,389 3 
			 5 2,505,389 3,131,736 1 
			 6 3,131,736 3,758,083 1 
			 7 3,758,083 4,384,430 1 
			 8 4,384,430 5,010,778 0 
			 9 5,010,778 5,637,125 0 
			 10 5,637,125 6,263,472 2 
			
			 Total   6,060

Individual Learning Accounts

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the level of fraud discovered in individual learning accounts.

John Healey: The Department's Special Investigations Unit is investigating 93 registered learning providers. Of these, police are investigating 13 and the Department's Special Investigation Unit is discussing a further 53 with the police.
	44 arrests have been made in relation to allegations of fraud with the operation of the individual learning account programme, 12 have been charged one of whom has been convicted.

Lost/Stolen Property

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from her Department in each of the last four years.

Ivan Lewis: The following table details the equipment stolen or lost from the Department for Education and Skills, valued less than £50 each.
	Financial year 1998–99: Nil return
	Financial year 1999–2000: Nil return
	Financial year 2000–01: Nil return.
	
		Financial year 2001–02
		
			 Description Telephone charger Dictaphone 
		
		
			 Number of items 1 1 
			 Approximate value per item (£) 25 40 
			 Total approximate value (£) 25 40 
		
	
	Note:
	The total number of items stolen amounts to £65 for the last four years.

English Baccalaureate

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to introduce an English Baccalaureate; and if she will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The White Paper, "Schools: achieving success" explains that we want to begin a debate about how to develop a coherent 14–19 education phase. As part of such a phase, the White Paper puts forward the proposal for an overarching award that would recognise achievement in both academic and vocational subjects. A forthcoming 14–19 consultation paper will consider the proposal for such an award in more detail.

AS Levels

Paul Stinchcombe: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many representations have been made to the Hargreaves inquiry on the first year of AS levels.

Ivan Lewis: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority received 150 representations about AS levels while compiling its report into Curriculum 2000.

Standard Spending Assessment (LEAs)

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will rank each local education authority by (a) the average salary per teacher and (b) the funding per pupil allocated through the standard spending assessment for the latest year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: The rankings of each LEA with regard to average teacher salary at 31 March 2000 and primary and secondary SSA per pupil in 2002–03 are as follows. A ranking of 1 denotes highest average salary and highest funding per pupil.
	
		
			  Lea number  LEA name Average salary rank SSA pp rank 
		
		
			 201 City of London 31 13 
			 202 Camden 3 8 
			 203 Greenwich 10 12 
			 204 Hackney 2 4 
			 205 Hammersmith and Fulham 8 7 
			 206 Islington 11 5 
			 207 Kensington and Chelsea 1 6 
			 208 Lambeth 6 3 
			 209 Lewisham 7 10 
			 210 Southwark 4 9 
			 211 Tower Hamlets 5 2 
			 212 Wandsworth 15 16 
			 213 Westminster 13 11 
			 301 Barking and Dagenham 17 22 
			 302 Barnet 25 30 
			 303 Bexley 33 40 
			 304 Brent 9 17 
			 305 Bromley 21 47 
			 306 Croydon 24 25 
			 307 Ealing 19 19 
			 308 Enfield 23 23 
			 309 Haringey 12 15 
			 310 Harrow 22 31 
			 311 Havering 20 45 
			 312 Hillingdon 32 32 
			 313 Hounslow 26 21 
			 314 Kingston upon Thames 27 46 
			 315 Merton 14 28 
			 316 Newham 16 14 
			 317 Redbridge 28 29 
			 318 Richmond upon Thames 29 63 
			 319 Sutton 30 41 
			 320 Waltham Forest 18 18 
			 330 Birmingham 65 33 
			 331 Coventry 40 70 
			 332 Dudley 110 133 
			 333 Sandwell 113 57 
			 334 Solihull 129 144 
			 335 Walsall 70 92 
			 336 Wolverhampton 53 55 
			 340 Knowsley 137 26 
			 341 Liverpool 45 27 
			 342 St. Helens 42 95 
			 343 Sefton 72 101 
			 344 Wirral 36 69 
			 350 Bolton 127 103 
			 351 Bury 80 123 
			 352 Manchester(22) 150 24 
			 353 Oldham 106 76 
			 354 Rochdale 102 67 
			 355 Salford 149 61 
			 356 Stockport 81 143 
			 357 Tameside 130 104 
			 358 Trafford 71 119 
			 359 Wigan 62 129 
			 370 Barnsley(22) 140 100 
			 371 Doncaster 82 77 
			 372 Rotherham 67 112 
			 373 Sheffield(22) 96 86 
			 380 Bradford 69 51 
			 381 Calderdale 99 93 
			 382 Kirklees 79 89 
			 383 Leeds 58 98 
			 384 Wakefield 139 120 
			 390 Gateshead 142 85 
			 391 Newcastle upon Tyne 118 43 
			 392 North Tyneside 89 115 
			 393 South Tyneside 55 59 
			 394 Sunderland 104 78 
			 420 Isles of Scilly 39 1 
			 800 Bath and North East Somerset 78 148 
			 801 Bristol, City of 105 80 
			 802 North Somerset 95 138 
			 803 South Gloucestershire 117 150 
			 805 Hartlepool 141 74 
			 806 Middlesbrough 107 37 
			 807 Redcar and Cleveland 144 71 
			 808 Stockton-on-Tees 132 90 
			 810 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 94 48 
			 811 East Riding of Yorkshire 92 130 
			 812 North East Lincolnshire 116 75 
			 813 North Lincolnshire 85 94 
			 815 North Yorkshire 60 118 
			 816 York 112 137 
			 820 Bedfordshire 83 82 
			 821 Luton 35 34 
			 825 Buckinghamshire 73 83 
			 826 Milton Keynes 100 58 
			 830 Derbyshire 57 134 
			 831 Derby 68 79 
			 835 Dorset 108 131 
			 836 Poole 101 145 
			 837 Bournemouth 97 110 
			 840 Durham 135 91 
			 841 Darlington 133 106 
			 845 East Sussex 122 62 
			 846 Brighton and Hove 90 44 
			 850 Hampshire 120 113 
			 851 Portsmouth 119 52 
			 852 Southampton 147 39 
			 855 Leicestershire(22) 103 149 
			 856 Leicester 84 38 
			 857 Rutland 37 147 
			 860 Staffordshire 98 142 
			 861 Stoke-on-Trent 121 81 
			 865 Wiltshire 77 128 
			 866 Swindon 148 136 
			 867 Bracknell Forest 51 72 
			 868 Windsor and Maidenhead 34 60 
			 869 West Berkshire 111 107 
			 870 Reading 134 49 
			 871 Slough 66 20 
			 872 Wokingham 54 139 
			 873 Cambridgeshire 128 127 
			 874 Peterborough 136 64 
			 875 Cheshire 114 141 
			 876 Halton 124 54 
			 877 Warrington 143 146 
			 878 Devon 75 117 
			 879 Plymouth 59 97 
			 880 Torbay 123 105 
			 881 Essex 46 65 
			 882 Southend-on-Sea 44 53 
			 883 Thurrock 48 36 
			 884 Herefordshire 91 111 
			 885 Worcestershire 87 140 
			 886 Kent 56 66 
			 887 Medway 43 73 
			 888 Lancashire 74 109 
			 889 Blackburn with Darwen 76 50 
			 890 Blackpool 145 88 
			 891 Nottinghamshire 38 126 
			 892 Nottingham 125 35 
			 893 Shropshire 49 121 
			 894 Telford and Wrekin 52 96 
			 908 Cornwall 50 99 
			 909 Cumbria 63 114 
			 916 Gloucestershire 126 132 
			 919 Hertfordshire 64 56 
			 921 Isle of Wight 138 42 
			 925 Lincolnshire 88 108 
			 926 Norfolk 61 102 
			 928 Northamptonshire 131 124 
			 929 Northumberland 47 116 
			 931 Oxfordshire 109 84 
			 933 Somerset 41 122 
			 935 Suffolk 86 125 
			 936 Surrey 146 68 
			 937 Warwickshire 115 135 
			 938 West Sussex 93 87 
		
	
	(22) These LEAs have returned data for less than 20 per cent. of their teachers. To estimate average salaries in these authorities, figures from March 1999 were grossed up by 3.9 per cent.

Amy Gehring

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what date her Department received notification from Surrey police of their concerns about Miss Amy Gehring; what action was taken to consider her inclusion on list 99 before the conclusion of recent criminal proceedings; and when Ministers were informed of the communication from Surrey police.

Stephen Timms: The Department received a letter on 20 November 2000 from Surrey police which contained factual information about allegations made against Miss Gehring, and stated that no further police action would be taken. The letter did not express concern about the risk that Miss Gehring might pose to children. By this time Timeplan had already placed Miss Gehring in the school where more alleged assaults took place, having failed to inform the LEA, DfES or the school of a Surrey child protection unit warning that she was a serious risk to children. After receiving information from the police my officials initiated their list 99 procedures, making a criminal background check and writing to Timeplan seeking copies of all the documents relating to the case. On 8 January 2001 my officials were informed by Surrey police that Miss Gehring's conduct was the subject of a fresh police investigation and they followed our normal practice of suspending further inquiries until documents, witness statements and other evidence from the police investigation and trial became available. Ministers were informed of the initial letter from Surrey police on 24 January 2002.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Minimum Income Guarantee

Paul Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners have (a) claimed and (b) been awarded the minimum income guarantee in Shrewsbury and Atcham; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested.
	As at August 2001 there were 2,900 minimum income guarantee (MIG) claimants in the Shrewsbury and Atcham constituency.

Pensioner Incomes

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the proportion of (a) men and (b) women over state pension age who have income from earnings.

Ian McCartney: The information required is not fully available in the format requested. However such information as is available shows that 15 per cent. of pensioner couples have income from earnings and 4 per cent. of single male pensioners and 4 per cent. of single female pensioners have income from earnings.
	Source:
	The Family Resources Survey 1999/2000

Industrial Action (Jobcentre Plus)

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus to discuss the industrial action by Public and Commercial Services Union staff; and what the outcome of the discussions were.

Nick Brown: holding answer 5 February 2002
	My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State regularly meets the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus to discuss a range of issues, including the current industrial dispute with the Public and Commercial Services Union.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 38W, to the hon. Member for Lichfield (Mr. Fabricant), on pension savings, what the source is of his estimates of contributions to non-state pensions; and if he will provide a breakdown of these totals between different categories of employer and different categories of non-state pension scheme.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The source of the estimates of contributions to non-state pensions provided to the hon. Member for Lichfield was the Office for National Statistics MQ5 publication as quoted in "Opportunity for All" (Cm 5260). The figures are calculated by summing the contributions of both employers and employees to self-administered pension funds and income for pension business of insurance companies. Data are not available to break down the information as requested.

Pensions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information will be provided on combined pension forecasts to advise individuals of any loss of entitlement to means-tested benefits.

Ian McCartney: The purpose of the combined pension forecast is to provide people with good information about their current and future retirement incomes in order to help them make better informed decisions about their needs in retirement and raise awareness of the importance of making adequate provision.
	The forecast provides information from both employers/ pension scheme providers and the Department about current and projected entitlements that could be accrued through the payment of contributions.

Motability

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what was (a) the total number of applicants for Motability vehicles, (b) the number of successful applicants (c) the number of successful applicants who cease to qualify after approval but before a vehicle is provided, in each of the last four years.

Maria Eagle: Information is not available in the form requested. The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Calendar years
		
			  Applications received Agreements made live 
		
		
			 1998 166,030 136,023 
			 1999 194,664 147,022 
			 2000 201,498 146,076 
			 2001 196,224 141,445 
		
	
	Applications may be made up to three months before delivery, and the differences between the numbers of applications received, processed and promulgated can be due to a number of causes, but principally are the result of either lack of appropriate benefit entitlement, dealer-related errors or changing customer preferences resulting in a fresh application for a different vehicle.

Motability

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the length of waiting time and the number of people waiting for an application for a Motability vehicle, from initial application to delivery of the vehicle, was in each of the last three years.

Maria Eagle: There has never been a waiting list for the Motability main scheme.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 262W, ref 29706, on winter fuel payments, in what format such information is available.

Ian McCartney: Information relating to the number of winter fuel payments by age band is not available. The table shows the number of men, by local authority area, in Scotland who received a payment last year. The information is not available for earlier years, and the details for this winter are not yet available.
	
		Men in Scotland who received a winter fuel payment in 2000–01 by local authority area
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 All 409,500 
			   
			 City of Aberdeen 15,620 
			 Aberdeenshire 17,980 
			 Angus 9,700 
			 Argyll and Bute 7,840 
			 Scottish Borders 9,860 
			 Clackmannanshire 3,500 
			 West Dumbartonshire 7,100 
			 Dumfries and Galloway 14,000 
			 City of Dundee 12,220 
			 East Ayrshire 10,040 
			 East Dumbartonshire 8,760 
			 East Lothian 8,360 
			 East Renfrewshire 8,000 
			 City of Edinburgh 33,000 
			 Falkirk 11,980 
			 Fife 28,780 
			 City of Glasgow 43,380 
			 Highland 17,820 
			 Inverclyde 7,340 
			 Midlothian 6,680 
			 Moray 8,020 
			 North Ayrshire 10,680 
			 North Lanarkshire 22,660 
			 Orkney Islands 2,060 
			 Perthshire and Kinross 13,380 
			 Renfrewshire 14,160 
			 Shetland Isles 1,800 
			 South Ayrshire 10,120 
			 South Lanarkshire 24,480 
			 Stirling 7,300 
			 West Lothian 10,520 
			 Western Isles 2,360 
		
	
	Source:
	WPF data based on 5 per cent. sample from Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service, so subject to sampling error.

Winter Fuel Payments

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions for each year since 1997, (a) how many and (b) what proportion of men aged between 60 and 64 years, who were not in receipt of a social security benefit, received a winter fuel payment.

Ian McCartney: The information is not available in the format requested. However, over 600,000 men who are not in receipt of a social security benefit received a winter fuel payment last year.

Winter Fuel Payments

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methods and outlets were used in 2000–01 to publicise entitlement to winter fuel payments.

Ian McCartney: We have run information campaigns for both winter 2000 and winter 2001, to inform people aged 60 and over about winter fuel payments.
	Activities include: press advertisements in national newspapers including titles in Scotland and Wales; a leaflet and poster; a dedicated winter fuel payment helpline and on-going information on the internet. We distributed leaflets and posters to a variety of venues including: local social security offices; post offices; people in caring and advisory roles; libraries; town halls; hospitals; supermarkets; bingo halls; fuel outlets; doctors' surgeries; as well as from our orderline. We have worked successfully with a number of voluntary organisations who distributed our leaflets amongst their networks, including Age Concern, National Pensioners' Convention, Local Government Organisation and Citizens' Advice Bureaux. National and regional press releases were issued to highlight the winter fuel payment campaign to the press.
	A mailshot was also undertaken in spring each year to people we could identify as being newly eligible for a winter fuel payment, and who would need to claim it, to inform them of the payment.

State Pension (Spanish Residents)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people receiving UK state pensions are resident in Spain.

Ian McCartney: At 31 March 2001 there were 43,100 people in receipt of UK state retirement pensions resident in Spain.
	Source:
	Pensions Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2001 based on a 5 per cent. sample.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.

Mortgages

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people no longer receive income support as a result of the fall in interest rates affecting mortgages over the past six months.

Malcolm Wicks: The information is not available.

Departmental Events

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the (a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each.

Ian McCartney: The information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Consultancy Services

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many contracts were let by his Department and agencies for which he is responsible to (a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case.

Ian McCartney: The information requested on the number of contracts let is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. The information requested on remuneration is provided in the table.
	
		Remuneration -- £ million
		
			   1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 
		
		
			 PricewaterhouseCoopers 1.7 1.2 0.3 0.5 0.3 
			 Ernst & Young 1.9 2.7 3.8 0.98 0.97 
			 Deloitte & Touche 2.4 2.4 2.8 10.7 3.6 
			 KPMG 0.1 1.0 0.42 0.52 0.90 
			 Andersen Consulting 18.4 21.3 9.0 Nil Nil 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures to 2000–01 relate to contracts awarded by the ex-Department of Social Security.
	2. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC)—was formed on 1 July 1998 as the result of a merger of the Price Waterhouse and Coopers & Lybrand organisations. PWC spend for the 1997–98 was split with Price Waterhouse accounting for just over £1 million and Coopers & Lybrand, £685,000. Figures from 1 September 2000 may not show the full value of DSS/DWP business to PWC as payment for any work it has done, via its membership of the EDS-led Affinity consortium under the ACCORD contract, is made direct to EDS. Of the total shown so far for 2001–02, £54,000 is in respect of work done for the Employment Service part of DWP and £268,000 for the former DSS part.
	3. Ernst & Young/CGEY—The consulting arm of Ernst & Young was purchased by Cap Gemini in 2000 to form Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY). The figure for 2000–01 is made up of £620,000 paid to Ernst & Young and £357,000 to CGEY. All of the 2001–02 spend is with CGEY, £63,000 of this being in respect of work for the former ES part of DWP and £911,000 with the ex-DSS part.
	4. Andersen Consulting—The figures in the table relate to Andersen Consulting—rather than its former sister organisation within Andersen Worldwide, Arthur Andersen (AA). Andersen Consulting split from the Andersen Worldwide organisation in 1999 and has been known as Accenture since January 2000. The figures shown for 1997–8 to 1999–2000 largely reflect business which moved to Inland Revenue with the transfer of the Contributions Agency in April 2000.

Benefit Recipients

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit recipients he estimates would be worse off obtaining a job paying (a) 50 per cent., (b) 60 per cent. and (c) 70 per cent. of the national average wage, assuming no travel to work costs were incurred.

Malcolm Wicks: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in housing benefit by each local authority in the last year for which information is available; what the average weekly claim was, and what the administration costs per claim falling on the local authority were.

Malcolm Wicks: The available information has been placed in the Library.

Housing Benefit

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the changes in housing benefit regulations since 1997; and what the estimated administrative cost of implementing each change was.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Interviews (Travel Expenses)

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department or its predecessor last reviewed its policy towards paying travelling expenses to potential employees coming for interview.

Nick Brown: holding answer 14 November 2001
	Neither DWP, nor its predecessors, have ever paid travelling expenses to candidates applying for employment with the Department. There has been no evident need to review this position and there are no plans to do so. However, as an organisation, we do several things to help unemployed people with the costs of attending interviews which, subject to the normal eligibility criteria, could be useful for someone attending an interview with this Department. These include the Travel to Interview Scheme which aims to assist jobseekers in their search for work outside the normal area by refunding associated costs. Also the recently introduced adviser discretion fund allows new deal personal advisers the flexibility to make discretionary monetary awards to help people quickly into jobs.

New Deal

Howard Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Arundel and South Downs are on the new deal programme, broken down by each category of the new deal.

Nick Brown: The available information is in the table:
	
		Numbers on the programme at end November 2001
		
			 Programme Number 
		
		
			 New deal for young people 8 
			 New deal 25plus 17 
			 New deal for lone parents 57 
			 New deal 50plus (employment credit claims) (23)14 
		
	
	(23) End December 2001
	Note:
	Constituency level information is not available for the new deals for disabled people or partners.
	Source:
	New Deal Evaluation Database

New Deal

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the private sector companies that are in receipt of funds from the new deal in Leicester.

Nick Brown: The private sector companies that are in receipt of funds from the new deal in Leicester are Fern Training and Development (new deal for young people) and Pelcome Training Ltd. (new deal 25plus).

New Deal

Archy Kirkwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money will be spent on the new deal for disabled people over the next three years.

Nick Brown: holding answer 11 December 2001
	£120 million for Job Broker services has been allocated to the new deal for disabled people for the financial years 2001–02 to 2003–04.

Benefits Agency

John Cryer: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to improve standards of decision making at the Benefits Agency in response to the President of the Appeals Service report on Standards of Decision Making by the Secretary of State 2000–01.

Nick Brown: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.
	Letter from Alexis Cleveland to John Cryer, dated 6 February 2002
	The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what steps he is taking to improve standards of decision making at the Benefits Agency (BA) in response to the President of the Appeals Service Report on Standards of Decision Making by the Secretary of State 2000–01.
	The BA Board receives regular reports on Decision Making and Appeals standards at its monthly meeting and monitors the situation closely. The President's quarterly reports are seen by the BA Standards Committee who consider the Judge's observations when framing recommendations for BA Board for future improvement activities. In addition the BA has reviewed its procedures and has introduced measures to more closely align the consideration of the President's conclusions alongside its processes for handling recommendations from other groups, such as Internal Audit.
	Early evaluation following the introduction of Decision Making and Appeals, and research undertaken by the Standards Committee, confirmed the need to review the training available to support Decision Makers. Refresher training on Decision Making and Appeals principles has therefore been delivered and Training Services have re-designed two of their packages to support staff, Appeals presentation and Appeals preparation. Both packages reinforce the need to reconsider a decision where new evidence has come to light or errors have been found. The training builds on products developed locally by trainers and has undergone extensive quality assurance by a range of key stakeholders and is one of a series of products designed to support Decision Makers in the BA. The resulting new products were distributed to delivery staff in October; others are planned for introduction later in the year.
	An internal review covering the quality of decision making, guidance and training available following the introduction of these measures is currently underway. The BA Board will consider any further recommendations for improvement as a result of the review.
	In conclusion, many decision errors are purely procedural and do not effect the correct level of payment being made to the customer. However, the BA takes all decision making errors seriously and is taking positive action to address the issues raised.
	I hope this is helpful.

Airline Industry Redundancies

David Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to assist individuals made redundant as a result of the downturn in the airline industry; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Brown: holding answer 23 January 2002
	The Rapid Response Service supports communities affected by redundancy and helps people make the transition into sustainable new jobs. This service will receive an additional £6 million over the next two years. This extra investment will boost the support offered and enable us to work even more effectively with employers to match people to new jobs.
	As well as the support of the Rapid Response Service, people made redundant can benefit from the wide range of help and advice on offer through jobcentres to enable them to move into work. We already have well established on-site jobcentres at Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester airports. Most people who lose their job are able to find another one quickly from among over 10,000 new vacancies that are notified to the Employment Service every working day.

Benefit Fraud (Yorkshire)

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many prosecutions were made for benefit fraud in the York and North Yorkshire area in (a) 1997, (b) 1999, (c) 2000 and (d) 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: Information on the number of prosecutions for fraud in benefits other than housing benefit in the York and North Yorkshire area is not available. Information on prosecutions for housing benefit fraud in the City of York and North Yorkshire is in the tables.
	
		
			   Cases referred for prosecution Successful prosecutions 
		
		
			 City of York   
			 1996–97 1 0 
			 1998–99 2 2 
			 1999–2000 6 2 
			 2000–01 (24)— (24)— 
			
			 North Yorkshire   
			 1996–97 (25)28 (25)19 
			 1998–99 52 24 
			 1999–2000 51 28 
			 2000–01 (25)36 (25)23 
		
	
	(24) Signifies the data are not available.
	(25) Data are not available for all the North Yorkshire local authorities. For 1996–97 the figures exclude Ryedale local authority, and for 2000–01, the figures exclude Richmondshire local authority and the City of York.
	Notes:
	1. The data refer to households, which may be a single person, a couple or a family.
	2. Figures are taken from local authority management information returns. It is possible that there could be some double counting with Benefits Agency data if there were cases which involved a joint prosecution.

Housing Benefit Fraud

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has for the reform of measures against housing benefit fraud.

Malcolm Wicks: We are introducing a comprehensive new anti-fraud scheme that provides financial incentives to local authorities to prevent, detect, sanction and prosecute benefit fraud. 63 authorities took on the new scheme in April 2001 and the remaining authorities will join in April 2002.
	In addition we are improving funding of the verification framework and breaking it into modules, making it easier for local authorities to introduce it incrementally. In April 2001 we began continuously measuring the levels of fraud and error in housing benefit. We have also developed a new set of standards for assessing local authorities' performance in several areas, including the prevention of housing benefit fraud. We intend to launch the standards in April.
	We are also working more closely with local authorities on fraud matters through joint regional boards to improve performance and spread good practice.

Removal Loans

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received loans from the Department of Social Security towards paying for removal costs when moving house in the past five years; how much these loans have totalled; how much of this has been repaid; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 1 February 2002
	The information is not available.

Minimum Income Guarantee (Wales)

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners he estimates are (a) eligible for and (b) claiming the minimum income guarantee in each parliamentary constituency in Wales.

Ian McCartney: Estimates of the number of people who may be eligible for the minimum income guarantee (MIG) are not available below national level.
	The number of pensioners claiming the MIG in each parliamentary constituency in Wales is in the table:
	
		Income Support MIG claimants by parliamentary constituency -- in Wales—August 2001
		
			 Parliamentary constituency Number of MIG Claimants 
		
		
			 Aberavon 2,600 
			 Alyn and Deeside 2,100 
			 Blaenau Gwent 3,000 
			 Brecon and Radnorshire 1,700 
			 Bridgend 2,500 
			 Caernarfon 2,400 
			 Caerphilly 2,800 
			 Cardiff Central 2,500 
			 Cardiff North 1,400 
			 Cardiff South and Penarth 4,000 
			 Cardiff West 3,100 
			 Carmarthen East and Dinefwr 2,400 
			 Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire 2,400 
			 Ceredigion 1,500 
			 Clwyd South 2,500 
			 Clwyd West 2,900 
			 Conwy 2,600 
			 Cynon Valley 2,400 
			 Delyn 2,100 
			 Gower 2,400 
			 Islwyn 2,500 
			 Llanelli 3,600 
			 Meirionnydd Nant Conwy 1,700 
			 Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney 2,500 
			 Monmouth 1,800 
			 Montgomeryshire 1,700 
			 Neath 2,900 
			 Newport East 2,100 
			 Newport West 2,300 
			 Ogmore 2,000 
			 Pontypridd 2,200 
			 Preseli Pembrokeshire 2,300 
			 Rhondda 3,400 
			 Swansea East 3,100 
			 Swansea West 3,600 
			 Torfaen 2,700 
			 Vale of Clwyd 2,900 
			 Vale of Glamorgan 2,400 
			 Wrexham 2,300 
			 Ynys Mon 2,400 
		
	
	Source:
	Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry August 2001

Workless households

Elfyn Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many and what percentage of children (a) live in workless households and (b) lived in workless households in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The information requested is in the table.
	
		
			   Children living in workless households:  
			 As at spring Number Percentage 
		
		
			 1996 2,256,000 19.3 
			 1997 2,078,000 17.9 
			 1998 2,076,000 17.8 
			 1999 2,015,000 17.3 
			 2000 1,831,000 15.7 
			 2001 1,779,000 15.3 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. 'Children' refers to all children aged under 16.
	2. A workless household is a household that includes at least one person of working age where no-one is in employment.
	3. The spring data are used annually in the set of Opportunity for All indicators.
	Source:
	Labour Force Survey, Spring Quarters (covering March to May) GB figures. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a quarterly sample survey of over 60,000 households in the United Kingdom.

Departmental Accounts

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which years since 1972 his Department and its predecessors have had accounts qualified by the Comptroller and Auditor-General due to irregular expenditure; and if he will specify the irregular expenditure involved in each case.

Nick Brown: holding answer 15 January 2002
	Pursuant to my written answer on 31 January 2002, Official report, column 758W, details of the accounts for the Department for Work and Pensions and its predecessors which have been qualified by the Comptroller and Auditor General on the basis of irregular expenditure since 1971–72 are shown in the table which has been placed in the Library.
	The Departmental Resource Account for 1999–2000 was also qualified, on the same basis as the Class X11 Vote 1 and the National Insurance Fund Accounts.

TREASURY

Secondments

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in his Department have been seconded to jobs in the (a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Deputy Prime Minister on 7 February 2002, Official Report, columns 1129–30W. HM Treasury provided this information to the Interchange Unit, Cabinet Office to complete the annual interchange statistical exercise.

Income Tax

Denzil Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the percentage of the total revenue from income tax which, in the last year for which figures are available, accrued from the emoluments of public sector employees.

Dawn Primarolo: Readily available information is in terms of "Pay-As-You-Earn" tax deductions from pay and is given in Inland Revenue Statistics table 2.10, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. The latest version can be accessed on the Inland Revenue website http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/ income_tax/it_t10_1.htm). The categories "Education" and "Health and social work" in the table include a small proportion of private sector employees.

Barnett Formula

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the factors he will take into consideration when deciding if the Barnett formula will remain the basis upon which changes in public spending totals resulting from the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review will be applied to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Andrew Smith: The Government's policy on funding the devolved Administrations is set out in the Statement of Funding Policy published by the Treasury in July 2000.

Barnett Formula

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans to review the Barnett formula following the findings of Census 2001 about Scotland's population.

Andrew Smith: The Barnett formula uses the latest published mid-year population estimates. The outcome of the 2001 census will be taken into account when available.

Rural Tax Concessions

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce tax concessions for shops, post offices and pubs in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government keep all taxes under review and any changes will be made as part of the normal Budget process.
	The Government have announced their intention to introduce a number of measures to help small businesses, including: the introduction of a VAT flat-rate scheme for small businesses with a turnover of less than £100,000 and the extension of the 10p starting rate of corporation tax in Budget 2002. And at the pre-Budget report the Government published the Carter review of payroll and are taking forward their consultation on its recommendations for helping small businesses deal with payroll.

Meetings

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what meetings (a) he and (b) his senior departmental officials have had with Enron and its subsidiaries in the last two years.

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (a) individuals and (b) organisations with whom he has had meetings about the future of the Barnett formula in the last 12 months; and what meetings on this subject he has planned for the next six months.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what meetings have taken place between Ministers in his Department and employees of Citigate since 7 June 2001; and if will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will list the meetings that Ministers in his Department have had since 1 January 2000 with representatives of (a) Chevron, (b) Texaco, (c) Phillips Petroleum, (d) IMC Global, (e) TXU and (f) CMS; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what meetings (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have had with senior members of energy companies since 7 June 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will list the dates of meetings that (a) special advisers and (b) Ministers in his Department have had since 1 January 1999 with representatives of Global Crossing; and if he will make a statement;
	(5)  if he will list the meetings that (a) Ministers and (b) special advisers in his Department have had since 7 June 2001 with representatives of Seeboard; and if he will make a statement;
	(6)  pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, columns 704–05W, if he will list the attendees of each meeting with individuals external to the Government he attended in his official capacity in July 2001; and if he will make a statement;
	(7)  on which dates in July 2001 he met (a) trade unions or their representatives and (b) employees of private companies or their representatives in his official capacity; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: Ministers and civil servants have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals as part of the process of policy development and analysis. I refer to the answer given by my right hon Friend the Prime Minister on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 689W, stating that as with previous Administrations it is not this Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists.

Euromarker

Jackie Lawrence: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his plans are for consultation on proposals for the introduction of the new Euromarker.

Paul Boateng: The Customs and Excise consultation document "Improving markers in rebated fuels—Introduction of the 'Euromarker'" is published today. Copies are available in the Vote Office and in the Library.

Structural Funds

Chris Ruane: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the EU on the structural funds that will replace the Objective I funding programme in (a) Wales, (b) South Yorkshire, (c) Merseyside and (d) Cornwall.

Andrew Smith: The Government have regular discussions with their counterparts in EU member states on a wide range of topics. These include the implementation and effectiveness of the structural funds regime. As it is five years away, it is too early to speculate on the shape that Structural Funds might take outside the current financial perspective.

Employment Rates

Paul Flynn: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest figures for employment rates are for each county in the UK.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Paul Flynn, dated 11 February 2002
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment rates. (34913)
	The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of the employment rates for each county of the United Kingdom. The latest available estimates are for autumn (September to November) 2001. These are available on Nomis, which can be accessed by the House of Commons Library.

Euro

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2002, Official Report, column 224W, whether the names of the Treasury management units which are involved in the preliminary technical work for evaluating the five economic tests are being withheld under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: holding answer 6 February 2002
	No. A wide range of officials from several Treasury management units is contributing.

Special Advisers

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent by HM Treasury on special advisers in each year since May 1997.

Ruth Kelly: Expenditure on Treasury special advisers in the years since 1997 was as follows.
	
		
			  £000 
		
		
			 1997–98 214 
			 1998–99 220 
			 1999–2000 226 
			 2000–01 247 
		
	
	These figures are on a like for like basis, and therefore do not include the costs of the Council of Economic Advisers, that was established in 1997 with appointments made over the period.

Departmental Expenditure

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions.

Ruth Kelly: Direct salary costs and pension contributions will account for 19 per cent. of HM Treasury DEL in 2001–02.

Conference Sponsorship

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he sought advice from the Cabinet Office before approving the sponsorship arrangements for the April 1999 Conference, "Creating Knowledge: Creating Wealth"; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: The conference "Creating Knowledge: Creating Wealth" was one of a series of conferences held following publication of the Treasury guidance "Selling Government Services into Wider Markets" in July 1998. The sponsorship arrangements for these conferences followed a competitive process and were fully in accordance with Cabinet Office guidelines in place at the time the arrangements were made.

Mobile Telephones

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff.

Ruth Kelly: The information required is not held in the format required and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

Legal Costs

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years.

Ruth Kelly: The table shows the legal fees incurred by the Treasury, Customs and Excise and the Inland Revenue 1997–98. Figures for the current year are not yet available.
	
		£ million 
		
			  HM Treasury HM Customs and Excise Inland Revenue 
		
		
			 1997–98 0.8 18.6 13.3 
			 1998–99 1.7 20.7 11.9 
			 1999–2000 1.4 22.6 17.1 
			 2000–01 1.2 24.1 22.0

Accountancy Services

John Bercow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years.

Ruth Kelly: It has not been possible to establish the cost of accountancy services in HM Treasury, Inland Revenue and HM Customs and Excise.
	The information is not held in the format required and any further examination would be of a disproportional cost.

Economic Statistics

Hugo Swire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) each English region and (f) each local authority in the United Kingdom (i) GDP per head of population, (ii) average gross weekly full-time earnings, (iii) average gross weekly household incomes, (iv) VAT registrations as a percentage of stock business and (v) VAT registered business per 10,000 population aged 16 and over.

Ruth Kelly: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. Hugo Swire, dated 11 February 2002
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question with regard to a number of sub-national economic statistics. I am replying in his absence. (34305)
	The information you require is not readily available in the way you request. It could only be compiled from a variety of sources at disproportionate cost. The information that is available can be obtained from the following sources, copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library.
	
		Information required for (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales, (d) Northern Ireland, (e) each English region and (f) each local authority in the United Kingdom
		
			 Information Source 
		
		
			 (i) GDP per head of population Regional Accounts articles in (a) Economic Trends March 2001 and (b) Economic Trends May 2001 www.statistics.ons.gov.uk/regional accounts: (a) GDP per capita for the countries and regions up to 1999 and (b) GDP per capita for sub-regions and local areas up to 1998  
			 (ii) Average gross weekly full-time earnings New Earnings Survey data are available from the NOMIS labour market data system. Countries and Regions of the United Kingdom and Local Authority District level information is available 
			 (iii) Average gross weekly household incomes Family Spending (2002), provides average gross weekly household incomes for Countries and Regions of the United Kingdom 
			 (iv) VAT registrations as a percentage of stock business and (v) VAT registered business per 10,000 population aged 16 and over VAT registration statistics are available from the Small Business Service of Department of Trade and Industry at www.sbs.gov.uk/statistics. Countries and Regions of the United Kingdom and Local Authority District level information is available.

Commonwealth Education Fund

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the creation of a Commonwealth Education Fund; who will be in charge of it; and whether the £10 million funding will be for 2002 only.

Paul Boateng: Under Clare Short's leadership, DFID have committed over £600 million since 1997 to achieving universal primary education. The Commonwealth Education Fund will complement this effort by supporting civil society to help Commonwealth Governments to ensure that the poorest and most marginalised children are able to enrol in and complete good quality primary education. The fund will support innovative ways of working with the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children (including street children, former child soldiers and nomadic children). It will also help promote public participation in education planning and delivery in the Commonwealth.
	The Government have pledged an initial £10 million to kick-start the fund. They will also match contributions by business, pound for pound including tax relief. Money raised by this year's Comic Relief "Sports Day" earmarked for education in Commonwealth countries will also be matched pound for pound, including tax relief, by the Government.
	Work in preparing the details of the Commonwealth Education Fund is on-going and we hope to make a further announcement on 26 February.

Debt Relief

Andy Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to promote a bankruptcy process for nations burdened with unpayable debts.

Paul Boateng: Over the past three years, the Government have been working with our G7 partners to reform the international financial architecture and to deliver an international financial system that is less prone to crises and better able to withstand them when they occur. A key component of this reform effort has been the development of a new framework for private sector involvement in crisis prevention and resolution which ensures that all parties who benefit form the international financial system play their part in maintaining stability.
	Recent experience has highlighted some of the legal and practical obstacles that may prevent countries with unsustainable private debt burdens from restructuring those debts in a timely and orderly manner. An international bankruptcy procedure has the potential to address some of these obstacles and thereby improve the overall operability of the crisis resolution framework. The Government therefore welcome the recent proposal by the IMF to explore options for establishing a new Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism.
	Separately, the UK continues to work hard to ensure that the Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative delivers a sustainable relief from debt for eligible countries. We also call on other countries to follow our leads on bilateral policies, such as 100 per cent. relief at Decision Point, and in holding payments in trust for those countries yet to receive debt relief. Already 24 countries have qualified for debt relief, and they will benefit from over $56 billion in debt reduction, which will bring their debts to below the average of developing countries.

HEALTH

Medical Students

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many medical students in universities in 1997 were expected to qualify in the period 1998 to 2002.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The available data are given in the table. Figures for the number of medical students graduating in 2002 will be available in January 2003.
	
		Students on first degree medical courses(26) in HE institutions in the UK
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Students enrolled in 1997–98(27) 24,360 
			 of which, those graduating in:  
			 1998 5,160 
			 1999 4,910 
			 2000 5,160 
			 2001 5,160 
		
	
	(26) Includes home domiciled and overseas students on clinical and pre-clinical medical courses. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	(27) Census count as at 1 December 1997.
	Following a review of the medical workforce, published in December 1997 which recommended that the intake to medical schools in the UK should be increased by 1,000 a year, and the commitments made in the Year 2000 NHS Plan, the number of places available to study medicine will increase to almost 5,900 by 2006—an increase of some 2,150 over 1997 levels.

Disabled Doctors

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of doctors graduated from medical school this year who are registered disabled.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 8 January 2002
	I have been asked to reply.
	The latest figures from the Higher Education Statistics Agency show that in 2001 6 per cent. of UK domiciled students who graduated in medicine reported that they had a disability.

Agency Nurses

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by each acute trust on agency nurses as (a) a total annual amount and (b) a proportion of the annual expenditure in each of the last three years for which records are available.

John Hutton: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

HIV

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has taken to combat stigma in HIV (a) transmission and (b) illness.

Yvette Cooper: The Department funds HIV and sexual health promotion for gay men, African communities and the general population. This includes information on how HIV is and is not transmitted and how to access national health service services. In addition, on 26 November last year, the National AIDS Trust, funded by the Department, launched a new pilot campaign, "Are You HIV Prejudiced?", aimed at raising awareness of HIV and AIDS and the negative effect of stigma and discrimination which can act as a barrier to people accessing testing and treatment and care services. The first ever national sexual health and HIV strategy highlighted the importance of reducing stigma associated with HIV. We are currently considering responses to the extensive consultation on the strategy, including replies specifically on addressing stigma.

Dispensing

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reduction in dispensing fees paid to community pharmacists.

Hazel Blears: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for New Forest, West (Mr. Swayne) on 8 January 2002, Official Report, columns 611W-12W.

NHS Direct

Denis Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have used the service provided by NHS Direct in each year since its introduction.

Hazel Blears: Since NHS Direct was launched in March 1998 it has handled around 9,000,000 calls. This calendar year alone it has handled over 4,500,000 calls, NHS Direct currently handles 120,000 calls a week.

Correspondence

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to the letter of 24 July from the hon. Member for New Forest, West regarding placements for young people with learning difficulties.

Jacqui Smith: A reply was sent on 23 January 2002.

Correspondence

Marion Roe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 10 October 2001, 22 November 2001, 18 December 2001 and 16 January 2001 relating to her constituent, Mrs. Barbara Handley of Cheshunt.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 22 January 2002
	A reply was sent on 28 January.

Correspondence

Richard Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Suffolk of 10 October 2001, concerning Mr. Dominique Porche, of Haverhill, a constituent.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 24 January 2002
	A reply was sent on 25 January.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 29 November 2001 with regard to Mr. Alan Robinson;
	(2)  when he intends to reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton dated 3 December 2001 with regard to Mrs. J. Sharpe;
	(3)  when he intends to reply to the written questions tabled to him by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. J. Sharpe (ref. 27323) and Mr. A. Robinson (ref. 27322).

Hazel Blears: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to my right hon. Friend's letter with regard to his constituent, Mrs. J. Sharpe, on 28 January.
	A reply was sent with regard to Mr. A. Robinson on 23 January.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Under-Secretary for Health intends to reply to the letter dated 20 November 2001 from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan regarding his constituent Mrs. B. Kennedy of Peterhead.

Yvette Cooper: A reply was sent on 24 January.

Correspondence

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Torbay of 10 September 2001 on behalf of the Haemophilia Society of Devon.

Yvette Cooper: A reply was sent on 28 January.

Meat Industry

Colin Breed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many abattoirs and meat processing plants have failed to pay inspection charges in the last 12 months for completed inspections in the last two years.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 December 2001
	Approximately 1,100 of 1,400 licensed fresh meat plants are currently operating in Great Britain. Of these, 11 companies operating licensed fresh meat plants have failed to make any payments to the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) in the period November 2000 to date for their inspection charges. These premises comprise five red meat full throughput slaughterhouses, one poultry meat full throughput slaughterhouse, one red meat low throughput slaughterhouse, three red meat full throughput cutting plants, and one poultry meat low throughput cutting plant. The total debt owed by these 11 companies is £468,652.21.
	Two of the 11 companies are still operating, but the other nine have ceased trading. The MHS has taken legal action against both of the companies that are still operating and has received Judgment against one, which will potentially lead to the withdrawal of service by the MHS. In the other case, proceedings are currently stayed pending receipt of fresh information from the defendant, as directed by the judge.
	In respect of the nine companies which have ceased trading:
	two companies have entered into voluntary arrangements;
	two companies went into liquidation before the MHS could obtain Judgment;
	The MHS obtained Judgment against three companies which subsequently went into liquidation;
	The MHS obtained Judgment against one company, however the Sheriff was unable to seize any goods as the company had ceased trading. Any further action by the MHS would not be cost effective in relation to the size of the debt (£3,195.43);
	One company owner was the subject of a bankruptcy order petitioned for by another creditor.

Staff Numbers

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were employed in his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The numbers of staff in all Departments are shown in table C of "Civil Service Statistics 2000" published on 31 August 2001, copies of which are available in the Library.

Registered Practitioners (Buckingham)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many registered practitioners there have been in the constituency of Buckingham in each year since 1997;
	(2)  how many (a) general practitioners and (b) registered general practitioners there were in the Buckinghamshire health authority area in each year since 1997;
	(3)  how many vacancies there were for general practitioners in the Buckinghamshire health authority area in each year since 1997.

Hazel Blears: The information on general practitioner vacancies requested is not available centrally. Information may be obtained from the chairmen of Buckinghamshire health authority and the primary care groups and trusts in the Buckinghamshire health authority area.
	The information on the number of practitioners is as follows:
	
		All practitioners (excluding GP retainers)(28) and unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(29) in England, South-east region, Buckinghamshire health authority and Aylesbury Vale primary care group, 1997–2000 -- Headcount
		
			 All Practitioners (excluding GP retainers) 1997 1998 1999 2000 
		
		
			 England 29,389 29,697 29,987 30,252 
			 South-east region 5,034 5,134 5,175 5,177 
			 Buckinghamshire health authority 397 408 423 424 
			 Aylesbury Vale primary care group — — 65 67 
			 of which: 
			 UPEs 
			 England 27,099 27,392 27,591 27,704 
			 South-east region 4,691 4,740 4,779 4,803 
			 Buckinghamshire health authority 372 382 396 403 
			 Aylesbury Vale primary care group — — 61 65 
		
	
	Notes:
	GP Retainers were collected for the first time in the 1999 census. In 1999 there were 972 GP retainers in England, 222 in South-east region, 12 in Buckinghamshire HA and one in Aylesbury Vale PCG. In 2000 there were 1,117 in England, 230 in South-east region, 0 in Buckinghamshire HA and 0 in Aylesbury Vale PCG.
	Data as at 1 October each year between 1997 and 1999 and at 30 September 2000.
	(28) Practitioners (excluding GP retainers) including GMS unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs, PMS salaried GPs, restricted principals, assistants, GP registrars, salaried doctors (para 52 SFA) and PMS other.
	(29) UPEs include unrestricted principals, PMS contracted GPs and PMS salaried GPs.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

GP Leavers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs in Surrey have left the profession in each of the last five years.

Hazel Blears: Information is collected on unrestricted principals and equivalents leaving Surrey health authorities but this does not indicate if they left the profession, took a career break or transferred to another area of work. Further information will be available from the chairmen of the primary care groups and trusts in Surrey.
	Information on leavers for the last five years currently available is shown in the table.
	
		Unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)(30): Leavers(31) from England, East Surrey and West Surrey health authorities 1995–2000 -- Headcount
		
			   Of which:  
			  England East Surrey HA West Surrey HA 
		
		
			 1995–96 1,184 10 15 
			 1996–97 1,058 13 21 
			 1997–98 1,040 12 17 
			 1998–99 1,030 13 17 
			 1999–2000 1,090 5 16 
		
	
	(30) UPEs include Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.
	(31) The estimate of leavers is based on those UPEs reported in the Department of Health's annual GP census in one year but not reported the following year. Leavers will include both longer term career breaks and wastage.
	Notes:
	1. Excludes UPEs who have moved between East and West Surrey or to another FHSA/HA.
	2. Data for 1995–96 has been converted to match April 1996 HA boundaries.
	3. Data as at 1 October each year between 1995 and 1999 and at 30 September 2000.
	Source:
	Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

Waiting Lists

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many patients in the Buckinghamshire health authority area waited more than (a) 13 weeks and (b) 26 weeks for a first outpatient appointment in each reporting period over the last 10 years;
	(2)  how many patients there were in the Buckinghamshire health authority area on in-patient waiting lists waiting more than (a) three months, (b) six months, (c) nine months, (d) 12 months, (e) 15 months, (f) 18 months and (g) 24 months for each reporting period since 1997;

Hazel Blears: The information requested has been placed in the Library.

Homelessness

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to social services departments and the NHS concerning the role of health and social care staff in the development and delivery of strategies to prevent homelessness.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 19 December 2002
	The National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill currently before Parliament will devolve responsibility for developing a local health improvement and modernisation plan to local primary care trusts. They will also receive a statutory duty to work in partnership with local authorities to assess local care needs and ensure the delivery of appropriate services. PCTs will also be responsible for improving the health status of the local population; including working in partnership with local authorities to address issues such as homelessness.
	The Rough Sleepers Unit published a good practice handbook, "Preventing Tomorrow's Rough Sleepers", in 2001. This contains examples of action that can be taken by various service providers, including health practitioners and social services, to prevent people from becoming homeless. The Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions will also publish guidance to local authorities on developing homelessness strategies with local partners including health service providers.
	We are aware that children placed in temporary accommodation, especially in bed and breakfast, must have regular health and developmental checks by health staff. New guidance will be issued to local authorities on this issue in the near future.

National Network for the Arts in Health

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the financial cost of the National Network for the Arts in Health project; and if he will publish an evaluation of its work.

Hazel Blears: Art has long been used in hospital buildings, with many recognising the healing power of the arts. The arts can contribute very significantly to the provision of health care; by improving the environment for patients, visitors and staff; by encouraging community participation and social regeneration; through therapeutic activity and staff development.
	The National Network for the Arts in Health was established in October 2000 to provide a range of services for those interested and working in the field of Arts in Health.
	The National Network for the Arts in Health is funded through a variety of sources, including membership fees, and grants from the following bodies; Kings' Fund, Nuffield Trust, PPP Healthcare and Medical Trust, Arts Council for England, The Baring Foundation, Esmee Fairbarn Charitable Trust, London Forum for arts in health and various publications and activities. This totalled £116,440 in the year 2000–01.
	The HDA contracted the National Network to do a specific piece of work in updating an existing database of projects via a questionnaire and host the website by which the data is made available. (Total £15,OOO in the year 2000–01).
	The Department has no plans to request or publish any evaluation of NNAH's work. It is expected that this will be the responsibility of the network's board of governors.

Cancer

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent measures his Department has taken to increase awareness of cancer in schools.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 January 2002
	Our healthy schools programme addresses a range of health and lifestyle issues that will impact on the long-term health of young people. Issues covered include the:
	health risks from smoking and substance misuse,
	sun safety,
	promoting healthy eating,
	promoting physical activity.
	Increasing consumption of fruit and vegetables is widely recognised as a protection against some cancers and cardiovascular disease. Information about the protection afforded by fruit and vegetables against cancer is set out in the national school fruit scheme booklet, which is supplied to all participating schools. This information is also available on the national school fruit scheme website address www.doh.gov.uk/schoolfruitscheme.

Urban Regeneration

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what schemes targeting urban regeneration needs are managed by his Department; how much each scheme has available to invest; what issues each scheme aims to tackle; and how much has been spent annually since 1997 (a) in the United Kingdom, (b) in Teesside, (c) in Redcar and Cleveland and Middlesbrough councils and (d) in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

Hazel Blears: The Department does not manage any schemes specifically targeting urban regeneration. However, implementation of the NHS plan, particularly in relation to primary care reform, will have an impact on urban regeneration. Specifically there are 26 health action zones set up in 1998 and 1999 to tackle health inequalities. They have been taking forward a range of activity that impacts on the determinants of health through their programmes which have included action in areas such as housing, education, crime, employment and transport, and working with ex-drug users. They are also working closely with new deal for community projects in their areas.
	HAZ funding for Teeside is shown in the table and compared to national HAZ funding.
	
		Total allocations for Tees HAZ and all HAZs including Tees -- £000
		
			  Programme and development Innovations fund and employment pilots Smoking cessation Drugs Targeted funding for Has in HAZ areas Total 
		
		
			 Tees   
			 1998–99 20 0 0 0 0 20 
			 1999–2000 1,231 320 407 0 1,274 3,232 
			 2000–01 1,589 704 406 135 2,547 5,381 
			 2001–02 1,589 802 406 135 (32)4,713 7,645 
			
			 England   
			 1998–99 5,682 0 0 1,780 0 7,462 
			 1999–2000 42,601 2,016 9,993 1,880 30,002 86,492 
			 2000–01 40,527 7,147 10,000 1,800 59,998 119,472 
			 2001–02 40,527 8,448 10,000 1,800 (32)101,813 162,588 
		
	
	(32) Health inequalities adjustment

Head Injuries

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will increase funding for voluntary organisations providing care services for people with head injuries.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 9 January 2002
	There are no plans to provide specific funds for voluntary organisations dealing with head injury. Commissioning local services for patients with head injuries is the responsibility of health authorities, trusts and primary care teams. They are the people best placed to identify the health needs of local populations and they will decide whether these services are best provided by voluntary organisations, or by someone else.
	The Department provides funds to voluntary organisations through the Section 64 General Scheme (Section 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968). In 2001–02, for example, 575 grants totalling nearly £21 million were awarded to 397 voluntary organisations. Grants are awarded on a competitive basis and voluntary organisations providing care services for people with head injuries have an equal chance of obtaining awards.

Data Treatment

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 26 November 2001, Official Report, column 737W, if he will establish standards to facilitate data quality maintenance, data transfer and data sharing.

Hazel Blears: The National Health Service Information Authority is responsible for the development of NHS data standards, and supports the independent Information Standards Boards that approve data standards for use by the NHS.
	The NHS Information Authority has also been commissioned to maintain and develop data quality standards for use by NHS hospital trusts in the collection of data required for management purposes. The process enables a trust to demonstrate that it has systems in place that meet pre-defined standards of data quality to fulfil its own management information requirements, and those of the commissioners of the trust's services.
	In addition, the NHS is to adopt standards for the transfer and sharing of data compliant with the electronic Government interoperability framework (e-GIF). Implementing the e-GIF within the NHS will be managed as an integral part of the NHS Information for Health strategy. The e-GIF standards are mandated on all new systems. The NHS Information Authority is leading work on migrating existing legacy systems to comply with e-GIF standards.

Parliamentary Questions

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many answers to parliamentary questions have not been answered by his Department under exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information in each year since 1994.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 22 January 2002
	The information requested is not available centrally.

Departmental Expenditure (Publications)

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: Estimates of expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in the Department in the last four years are as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 1997–98 415,890 
			 1998–99 423,560 
			 1999–2000 419,490 
			 2000–01 423,160 
		
	
	This expenditure covers central purchasing through the Department's library, the regional offices and direct purchasing by individual units. Expenditure of agencies has been excluded.

Musculoskeletal Injuries

Michael Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people were diagnosed with musculoskeletal injuries in the last year for which figures are available; and how many (a) GP consultations, (b) physiotherapy sessions and (c) hospital beds were taken up in that year with those injuries.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 25 January 2002
	Information on general practitioner consultations and physiotherapy sessions are not collected centrally. Figures for musculoskeletal injuries and bed days are shown in the table.
	
		Admissions and bed days where main diagnosis may be related to musculoskeletal injuries—NHS Hospitals, England 2000–01
		
			  Admissions Bed days 
		
		
			 S02 Fracture of skull and facial bones 26,970 46,500 
			 S03 Dislocation sprain and strain of joints and ligaments of head 302 344 
			 S07 Crushing injury of head 4 2 
			 S08 Traumatic amputation of part of head 118 282 
			 S09 Other and unspecified injuries of head 37,466 66,600 
			 S12 Fracture of neck 1,686 24,078 
			 S13 Dislocation sprain and strain of joints and ligaments at neck level 1,163 4,739 
			 S14 Injury of nerves and spinal cord at neck level 443 6,873 
			 S15 Injury of blood vessels at neck level 47 275 
			 S16 Injury of muscle and tendon at neck level 55 103 
			 S17 Crushing injury of neck 20 33 
			 S19 Other and unspecified injuries of neck 1,084 2,649 
			 S22 Fracture of rib(s), sternum and thoracic spine 7,718 54,913 
			 S23 Dislocation sprain/strain of joints and ligaments of thorax 71 470 
			 S24 Injury of nerves and spinal cord at thorax level 52 1,244 
			 S28 Crush injury thorax and traumatic amputation part of thorax 37 251 
			 S29 Other and unspecified injuries of thorax 490 1,813 
			 S32 Fracture of lumbar spine and pelvis 11,504 150,123 
			 S33 Dislocation sprain and strain joint ligaments lumbar spine and pelvis 161 1,012 
			 S34 Injury nerves lumbar spinal cord abdomen low back and pelvis 61 828 
			 S38 Crushing injury/trauma amputation of part of abdomen lower back and pelvis 55 230 
			 S39 Other and unspecified injuries of abdomen lower back and pelvis 2,725 9,964 
			 S42 Fracture of shoulder and upper arm 18,450 122,002 
			 S43 Dislocation sprain and strain of joints and ligaments of shoulder girdle 2,995 11,893 
			 S46 Injury of muscle and tendon at shoulder and upper arm level 378 1,101 
			 S47 Crushing injury of shoulder and upper arm 3 9 
			 S48 Traumatic amputation of shoulder and upper arm 10 164 
			 S49 Other and unspecified injuries of shoulder and upper arm 456 1,966 
			 S52 Fracture of forearm 48,698 134,031 
			 S53 Dislocation sprain and strain of joints and ligaments elbow 1,036 1,630 
			 S56 Injury of muscle and tendon at forearm level 1,925 2,891 
			 S57 Crushing injury of forearm 52 283 
			 S58 Traumatic amputation of forearm 16 220 
			 S59 Other and unspecified injuries of forearm 283 952 
			 S62 Fracture at wrist and hand level 17,337 30,837 
			 S63 Dislocation sprain strain joint and ligaments at wrist and hand level 2,299 3,125 
			 S66 Injury of muscle and tendon at wrist and hand level 9,592 12,098 
			 S67 Crushing injury of wrist and hand 1,505 1,943 
			 S68 Traumatic amputation of wrist and hand 3,347 5,066 
			 S69 Other and unspecified injuries of wrist and hand 1,281 2,141 
			 S72 Fracture of femur 63,385 1,117,498 
			 S73 Dislocation, sprain and strain of joint and ligaments 745 6,799 
			 S76 Injury of muscle and tendon at hip and thigh level 756 4,254 
			 S77 Crushing injury of hip and thigh 17 129 
			 S78 Traumatic amputation of hip and thigh 3 180 
			 S79 Other and specified injuries of hip and thigh 2,065 15,888 
			 S82 Fracture of lower leg, including ankle 42,930 338,010 
			 S83 Dislocation sprain and strain of joints and ligaments of knee 4,837 9,399 
			 S84 Injury of nerves at lower leg level 44 164 
			 S87 Crushing injury of lower leg 73 344 
			 S88 Traumatic amputation of lower leg 36 1,630 
			 S89 Other and unspecified injuries of lower leg 1,377 6,986 
			 S92 Fracture of foot, except ankle 5,288 32,747 
			 S93 Dislocation sprain and strain joints and ligaments at ankle and foot level 1,034 4,325 
			 S96 Injury of muscle and tendon at ankle and foot level 356 793 
			 S97 Crushing injury of ankle and foot 216 1,323 
			 S98 Traumatic amputation of ankle and foot 91 576 
			 S99 Other and unspecified injuries of ankle and foot 502 2,177 
			 T02 Fractures involving multiple body regions 516 6,820 
			 T03 Dislocations sprains and strains involving multiple body regions 27 92 
			 T04 Crushing injuries involving multiple body regions 39 325 
			 T05 Traumatic amputations involving multiple body regions 10 213 
			 T06 Other injuries involving multiple body regions NEC 29 352 
			 T07 Unspecified multiple injuries 24 67 
			 T08 Fracture of spine, level unspecified 112 1,572 
			 T09 Other injuries of spine and trunk, level unspecified 421 2,530 
			 T10 Fracture of upper limb, level unspecified 28 187 
			 T11 Other injuries of upper limb, level unspecified 555 1,878 
			 T12 Fracture of lower limb, level unspecified 23 276 
			 T13 Other injuries of lower limb, level unspecified 850 5,066 
			 T14 Injury of unspecified body region 2,624 10,701 
		
	
	These figures do not represent the number of patients, as a person may be admitted more than once within the year. The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the hospital episode statistics data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.

NHS Dentists

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is to be made available to the review of NHS dentistry in Shropshire and Staffordshire; when the review is due to be completed; and if it is his policy to follow up the recommendations of the review.

Hazel Blears: West Midlands North National Health Service Workforce Confederation is currently undertaking a review of NHS Dentistry in Shropshire and Staffordshire on behalf of Shropshire health authority, South Staffordshire health authority and North Staffordshire health authority. This work will enable the health authorities to quantify recruitment and retention issues and identify possible local solutions.
	In keeping with our determination to decentralise decision-making in the NHS, and as this is a local review, all decisions with regard to funding and implementation will be a matter for the health authorities involved.

GP Surgeries

Matthew Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been burnt by radiators in GP surgeries in each of the past 10 years; and what he estimates to be the cost to GP practices of installing radiator guards in every surgery in the UK.

Hazel Blears: There are about 10,500 general practitioner premises in England. Information on the numbers of radiators and incidents is not collected centrally.
	Burns from radiators are not reportable under the Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations. To collect the information requested would incur disproportionate costs.
	We estimate it would cost approximately £100 to fit a guard to a radiator.
	In 1998 National Health Service Estates issued guidance relating to low surface temperatures (Health Guidance Note "Safe Hot Water and Surface Temperatures"). The installation of low surface temperature radiators is advised in all health care settings. This eliminates the need for guard installation.

NHS Service Reviews

Laura Moffatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department is making of the efficacy of public and community involvement in local reviews of NHS services.

Hazel Blears: Subject to the passage and subsequent enactment of section 19 of the National Health Service Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health will make an independent assessment of the efficacy of public and community involvement in local reviews through it's work with patients' forums and overview and scrutiny committees. These data will be collected locally by the commission and fed to Government via the commission's headquarters.
	A prime example of the involvement of local people in determining the future of their health services occurred in my hon. Friend's constituency. It was agreed, after strong views were expressed by Crawley residents, that a review of the future provision of health care in South East Surrey and North West Sussex would take place. This review will involve local stakeholders in seeking agreement on a configuration which will ensure appropriate local access and meet the requirement for high quality, professional care.

Hormonal Treatments

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research has been conducted into the effects of hormonal treatments on women who are prone to (a) bipolar and (b) depressive illness; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Neither the Department nor the Medical Research Council (MRC) are currently supporting any research specifically into the effects of hormonal treatments on women who are prone to bipolar and depressive illness.
	The main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease is the MRC which receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC have a significant amount of research into mental disorders, including depression and is also funding the WISDOM (Women's International Study of Long Duration Oestrogen after Menopause) trial which is looking at women on long term hormone replacement therapy.
	The Department provides national health service support funding for research commissioned by the research councils and charities that take place in the NHS. The Department is providing or has provided support for a number of projects on mental health in general. Details of research projects can be found on the National Research Register, which is available in the Library and most medical libraries on CD-ROM, or on the internet at www.doh.gov.uk/research/nrr.htm.

Obesity

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the levels of obesity in the UK; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent measures he has taken to reduce levels of obesity in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The most recent health survey for England, in 1999, showed that one in five adults suffers from obesity. The National Audit Office report: Tackling Obesity in England, published in February 2001, provides a comprehensive assessment on the levels of obesity in England. It found that obesity had nearly trebled in the last 20 years, and is responsible for 9,000 deaths each year, before the age of retirement. It also states that obesity is a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, stroke and type 2 diabetes. The most likely causes of obesity are identified as an increasingly sedentary lifestyle combined with changes in eating patterns.
	Obesity is a complex condition, but is largely preventable through addressing diet and physical activity. We have therefore put in place major cross-Government programmes of work to address these factors. The NHS Plan, Cancer Plan and National Service Frameworks all prioritise action to improve diet and increase physical activity.
	Also the National Service Framework for Diabetes, published in December 2001, recognises obesity as a modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes and that it will need to be the focus of prevention strategies for diabetes.
	The Health Development Agency is currently reviewing the evidence on effective interventions to prevent obesity. Their report, to be published early this year, will provide the evidence base on what works. To support primary care trusts, we have also asked the Health Development Agency to develop a framework to support the development of programmes to prevent overweight and obesity.
	Last year the National Institute for Clinical Excellence issued guidance on the anti-obesity drugs Orlistat and Sibutramine. Patients are prescribed these drugs to help them lose weight in combination with counselling and advice on diet and exercise.

Ministerial Meetings

David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met the health minister in the Scottish Executive; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: On Monday 28 January 2002.

Kidney Dialysis

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kidney dialysis machines have been issued to patients for use in their homes in each of the last five years in (a) the UK and (b) Hillingdon Health Authority.

Jacqui Smith: The available information is based on figures published in the third annual report of the United Kingdom Renal Registry, copies of which are available in the Library. In 1998 there were 516 patients in England using a haemodialysis machine at home. In addition, it is estimated that 1,150 adult patients and 83 children were using home automated cycling machines for peritoneal dialysis. Information for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved administrations. Equivalent information is not available at health authority level.

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the penalties that apply to the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital Warrford if surgical waiting list targets across all surgical disciplines are not met.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 29 January 2002
	The performance against waiting list targets by the Royal Devon and Exeter healthcare national health service trust will be one of a number of criteria used to assess the trust in the annual performance ratings. There are no financial penalties if the trust does not reach key targets on waiting times; however, the trust's performance rating will determine how the trust can use additional monies from the performance fund. The best performing trusts gain additional freedoms in recognition of their success.

Departmental Leave Entitlements

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what has been the average annual leave entitlement of staff in his Department in each of the last four years.

Hazel Blears: The Department holds no information on the average annual leave entitlement however actual leave entitlement in the last four years can be provided as shown in the table.
	
		
			 Year On entry After one year After 10, 15 or 20 years service depending on civil service grade 
		
		
			 1997–98 22 25 30 
			 1998–99 22 25 30 
			 1999–2000 22 25 30 
			 2000–01 30 30 30 
		
	
	As of 1 August
	Notes:
	1. Excludes staff in the senior civil service whose annual leave entitlement is currently set by Cabinet Office at 30 days and has been so for the last four years.
	2. Excludes part-time, job share and casual staff annual leave entitlement. This is calculated at a pro rata rate dependent on the terms of employment.

Infertility

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting list was for infertility treatment, broken down by health authority; how much each health authority spent on infertility treatment in each year since 1997; what action will be taken to address the differences according to area in infertility treatment; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested on the waiting list and the amounts spent by health authorities is not available centrally. The Department undertook a baseline survey of infertility provision in the national health service in 1999. A report on this "Survey of NHS Infertility Services 1997–98" has been published and copies are available in the Library.
	We have listened carefully to the representations we have received from couples seeking infertility treatment, and from hon. Members and interested bodies working in the field. We have asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider and update the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' existing guidelines on the management of infertility treatment in order to ensure that clinical guidance based on the latest knowledge and best practice are available for use throughout the NHS.
	We want to see an improved service and greater efficiency for the benefit of all patients. We see the referral of these guidelines to NICE as a major step forward in infertility treatment by which we can act positively to improve services and reduce the postcode lottery in this area of health care.

Care Homes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been to the East Riding of Yorkshire council for administrating the registration of care homes in the last 12 months.

Jacqui Smith: For 1999–2000, the latest year for which information is available, East Riding of Yorkshire council reported total gross expenditure on registration and inspection activities, other than inspection of under-8s, of £143,000. They reported that, of this, £76,000 was recovered in fees so that the net cost to them was £67,000.

Care Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) amount spent on funding care homes through local authorities and (b) the cost of care by region in 2001 was; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: In 1999–2000 (the latest year for which data are available) £3.2 billion gross was spent on funding residential care homes through local authorities. The table gives a breakdown of this expenditure by region and client group.
	
		Gross expenditure on residential care homes by region and client group, 1999–2000 -- £000
		
			 Government office region  Older people Adults with physical disabilities Adults with learning disabilities Adults with mental health problems 
		
		
			 North East 129,151 5,387 26,877 6,286 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 221,718 11,145 61,947 13,931 
			 East Midlands 178,004 9,705 46,442 11,262 
			 West Midlands 217,313 14,949 76,920 13,659 
			 South West 196,444 14,883 70,138 14,513 
			 East of England 233,319 18,777 101,014 17,503 
			 London 279,912 35,528 187,153 65,472 
			 South East 291,926 23,712 145,870 19,478 
			 North West 320,302 23,172 73,113 25,508 
			  
			 England 2,068,089 157,258 789,474 187,612 
			  Total gross expenditure all client groups, England 3,202,433 
		
	
	Source: Form RO3, General Fund Services Revenue Account (Personal Social Services)

Care Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to collect centrally the figures for survival rates following unplanned moves of care home residents from their care home; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Data on survival rates following unplanned moves of care home residents from their care home are not currently collected, and have not been prioritised for future collections.

Care Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many older people moved into care owing to reaching the cost ceiling for care in the home in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Data on the number of people moved into care as a result of reaching the cost ceiling for care at home are not collected centrally.
	Councils with social services responsibilities should plan supported admissions to residential care in consultation with prospective residents and other interested parties. Final decisions should be based on a full consideration of assessed needs, agreed outcomes, the quality of care, and costs. The Department will be publishing guidance on this point shortly.

Care Homes

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many older people are waiting for an assessment before being admitted to a care home in the Portsmouth area; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: In September 2001 (the latest information available centrally) 25 people of all ages within the Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire health authority area had their discharge from hospital delayed because they were awaiting an assessment of their future care needs. The assessment determines their future care needs, these may be met in a range of settings, including care homes or their own home.

Care Homes

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many county council residential homes for the elderly there were in England in (a) 1990, (b) 1997 and (c) at the most recent date for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: Information on the number of local authority staffed residential care homes for older people 1 is shown in the table.
	1 Includes local authority staffed care homes for elderly mentally infirm people.
	
		Number of local authority staffed homes and places for older people in England, 1990, 1997 and 2001 -- Rounded numbers
		
			 At 31 March Local authority staffed homes Total places in local authority staffed homes 
		
		
			 1990 2,480 103,600 
			 1997 1,500 54,680 
			 2001 1,190 41,830 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health's annual returns

Care Homes

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) nursing homes and (b) residential homes are (i) known to have conformed by 1 April 2001 and (ii) expected to conform by 1 April 2002 to the care home standards to be implemented on 1 April 2002; and what proportion they represent of all such homes.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 8 February 2002
	It will be for the National Care Standards Commission to decide in the particular circumstances of each individual home whether the home conforms to the standards necessary to meet the assessed needs of its residents. The standards were extensively consulted on and the Department has no evidence to suggest that large numbers of care homes will be unable to meet them. The Commission will form a more detailed picture of care homes' compliance with the national standards as it completes its first cycle of inspections of providers in England during 2002–03.

Hospital Infections

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to protect surgical patients from exposure to poisons;

Jenny Tonge: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made to ensure total sterilisation of surgical instruments; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: We have received advice from the Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee that a key factor in reducing the risk of person-to-person spread of vCJD during surgery is a high standard of decontamination of surgical instruments. This is confirmed by the Risk Assessment that we published on 16 March 2001.
	Since October 2000, we have carried out a comprehensive survey of decontamination facilities and practices in the national health service in England, the results of which we published on 11 December 2001. Those hospitals falling below the standard required were helped to produce action plans. As a result, all NHS acute hospitals in England now have access to satisfactory decontamination services.
	The modernisation of NHS decontamination services is a long-term process, not a one-off event, and we will continue to ensure that appropriate precautions, based on evidence and scientific advice, are taken to ensure patient safety.

Hospices

Richard Page: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what sums of money that have been recently announced for the hospice movement will be available to the private sector.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 1 February 2002
	Hospices are provided either by the voluntary sector or by the national health service.
	In the NHS Cancer Plan we pledged that the NHS contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care (including voluntary sector hospices) would increase. By 2004 the NHS will invest an additional £50 million in specialist palliative care. This will match on a national basis the funding provided by the voluntary sector and will enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the costs hospices incur for agreed levels of services.

Disabled Parking

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many disabled parking spaces are available at North Durham University Hospital.

Jacqui Smith: The University Hospital of North Durham has 876 car parking spaces of which 32 are disabled bays.

Preventive Care

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is given to preventive support for older people; what assessment has been made of required resources for intermediate care; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The NHS Plan announced an extra £900 million annually by 2003–04 for new intermediate care and related services to promote independence and improve quality of care for older people, together with targets for additional intermediate care beds and non- residential places and the number of people to benefit.
	Full details are in the intermediate care circular Health Service Circular 2001/01:Local Authority Circular (2001)1 published in January last year, copies of which are available in the Library.

Waiting Times

Angela Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (a) the average patient waiting time for every month from 1 January 2001 to 31 January 2002 at the Royal Devon and Exeter accident and emergency department and (b) the monthly average of England's accident and emergency departments over the same period.

Hazel Blears: holding answer 5 February 2002
	The information requested is not available centrally.

Neurological Conditions

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002, Official Report, column 143W, on neurological conditions, 
	(1)  what the time scale is for scoping, planning and implementing the framework;
	(2)  whether motor neurone disease will have its own section within the framework.

Jacqui Smith: The National Service Framework (NSF) for Long-term Conditions is likely to focus on the needs of people with neurological disease, and brain and spinal injury, as well as some of the common issues faced by people with a long-term condition. The Department expects to decide the specific scope and content of the NSF later this year.

Mental Health Acts

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish a White Paper on the reform of the Mental Health Acts; and if he will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: holding answer 7 February 2002
	We published the White Paper "Reforming the Mental Health Act" in December 2000. The White Paper made clear our intention to reform mental health legislation and bring it into line with the contemporary patterns of care and treatment, including the changes and new investment set out in the NHS Plan, and to improve the provisions for high risk offenders, including those who are dangerous and severely personality disordered.
	New legislation will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time allows.

South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will appoint the non-executive directors of the South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust; and when they will be appointed.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 8 February 2002
	The non-executive members of the board will be appointed by the National Health Service Appointments Commission, in accordance with the Code of Practice issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. It is anticipated that the appointments will be made in March.

Delayed Discharges

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average delay for patients with delayed discharges is in the third quarter of 2001–02.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is not yet available. The most recent information available (second quarter of 2001–02) is available in the Library.

Bed Blocking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of acute beds are blocked in each acute National Health Service hospital trust.

Jacqui Smith: Figures are collected centrally on the number of acute beds blocked in each health authority and these have been placed in the Library. Figures are not collected centrally on numbers in each hospital trust.

Victoria Climbie Inquiry

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what arrangements have been made to publicise the seminars planned as part of the Victoria Climbie inquiry; who has been invited to attend; and when they will take place;
	(2)  when he expects the Victoria Climbie inquiry to conclude its evidence gathering.

Jacqui Smith: The Victoria Climbie inquiry is an independent statutory inquiry commissioned by my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Health and the Home Department. The Secretary of State for Health understands that Phase II of the inquiry will start in March and will consist of a series of five seminars. Further information about the seminars can be obtained from www.victoria-climbie-inquiry.org.uk.
	We understand that phase I of the inquiry is expected to end this month, and that phase II is expected to end in April. The report of the inquiry is expected later this year.